“Virtual Ritual” by Jan Mocek
Published
Virtual Ritual (2019) by Jan Mocek
Recording of performance, 70 min.
Virtual Ritual takes its spectators on a journey through the cities created in online video games, that form a kind of parallel universe to daily reality. These virtual spaces offer its users endless possibilities to enjoy themselves without the constraints of harsh reality. But every game has its rules. In Virtual Ritual, an expert gaming panel will analyse the digital cities from different perspectives. They unpack the hidden mechanisms, prototypes and rituals that shape the seemingly weightless world of online video games. The artists were unfortunately hindered to come in person because of Covid-19 and rising contamination in Europe. The performance will therefore be shown digitally as a recording at bek.no during the exhibition period, as well as streamed from Bergen Kjøtt on Saturday November 14th.
Credits:
Concept, directing, set: Jan Mocek
Performers: Osamu Okamura, Adéla Vosičková, Ondřej Pokorný (Atlet)
Artistic collaboration: Irina Andreeva, Sodja Lotker, Táňa Švehlová
Lighting: Václav Hruška
Sound: Matouš Hekela
Video: Ondřej Pokorný (Atlet), Jan Mocek
Photo: Adéla Vosičková
Production: SixHouses.
Co-production: Archa Theatre
Virtual Ritual premiered on 2 – 3 October, 2019, at Archa Theatreis. The performance is supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture.
Photo credit: Michal Hancovsky and Adela Vosickova.
Jan Mocek (b. 1986, Turnov) makes projects that lie on the boundary between theatre and visual art. In his performances, he brings contemporary themes to the table in all of their complexity and ambiguity, but at the same time, he offers his audience an emotionally atmospheric and strongly sensual experience. The Radiant Cities (2016), Shadow Meadow (2017), Fatherland (2018) and Virtual Ritual (2019) are his latest performances, presented nationally and internationally at festivals such as Fast Forward, Dresden, Use the City, Košice, Submerge Festival, Bristol and 4+4 Days in Motion, Prague.
Latent City
Latent City presents artistic productions dealing with the city’s hidden stories. Seen through the lens of artistic observation, hidden stories, latent infrastructures and questions of digital presence and of power and democracy in our cities, meet in an exhibition that takes place over three weeks. The Latent City is the city that awaits, the one that is about to unfold, our common future city.
Several of the art projects are financed or commissioned by BEK, while others are existing works presented in new formats. A video program will be on show throughout the project period and there will be an extensive program of talks and performances. Please read more about the project and the programme here.
