“Absinthe”, the final part in a poetic, musical trilogy, written by the Ukrainian author Yuriy Andruchowycz, will be performed by the Wrocław-based group Karbido in Kiev, wrapping up a ‘tryptych’ of concerts that have been performed both in Poland and the Ukraine in 2006/2008 and 2009/2010
The performance is based on Ukrainian writer Yuriy Andrukhovych’s novel “Perversion”, which has been split into three parts for a musical presentation (both on stage and recorded as albums): “Samohon” was released in Poland in 2006 and in Ukraine in 2008, “Cinnamon” was released in Poland in 2009 and Ukraine in 2010). This third part, “Absinthe”, wraps up the trilogy and the creators intend for it to be a sort of hour-long soundtrack to a film that have never actually been filmed.
“Absinthe” is a multi-layered, hybrid concert meant to mirror an ‘alchemical concoction’ with prose, poetry, music, theatre and visual projections. the piece is meant to be an explosion of art, providing a proper finale to the trilogy. The story itself is based upon the secret stories of the poet and traveler Stanisław Perfecki, who, in 1993, appeared in Venice but then, amidst an aura of romantic, mysterious stories of his adventures, disappears without a trace.
The bizarre story being told on stage incorporates various elements of sound, surprise, electronics and other elements meant to mirror the oddness of Perfecki’s story. The show’s title, “Absinthe” is obviously metaphorical, yet also refers to the favored drink of the characters Perfecki meets along the way. The title is, additionally, a play on words (absinthe – absent) meant to highlight the fact that Pefecki, the show’s hero, is, literally, absent after his disappearance.
The musical group “Karbido” was established in 2002/2003 as a loose cooperation as a duo between Marek Otwinowski, aka maot, and Igor Gawlikowski. The two were joined a year later by percussionist Paweł Czepułkowski.
Date: 18th of December 2011
Venue: The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in the Ukrainian National Music Academy, Kiev
Organised by: The Hermetic Garage Foundation, The ArtPole Artistic Agency in Kiev, the Polish Institute in Kiev
This project has been cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.