The title of my artistic research is “Application of bricolage as a process method in postdramatic theatre”. The research question is “how to apply phenomena called bricolage as an appearance of a non-lingual sense of environment and matter in the context of practical theatre-making”. The research intention is to create an applicable model for using bricolage as a process method for theatre performance and education. “The Savage Mind” by French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss is one of the basic formulations of relationships between “mind in its untamed state” and bricolage as a creative way of manipulating the matter. Zooming in into savage thinking also allows applying bricolage in non-object based components of performance such as sound design, video design, light design, and directing. Since September 2018, I have been exploring bricolage as a non-lingual sense of environment and matter during different courses and academic experiments as part of my doctoral research. On April 26, 2019, my first-year doctoral performance premiered as a result of those explorations. The performative lecture entitled “Savage mind in theatre” is related to my doctoral research. Phenomena called bricolage is as old as human culture, but the term itself is new, describing “constructing anything out of random things from surrounding environment”. Most of my own artistic practices can be defined as bricolage, be it installation art, experimental music or performance art. Since 2005, my creations have included an important and specific character – an analog technology. It means that objects constructed by me contain moving parts. It presumes additional quality requirements in comparison to static objects, means that no matter of random choice of construction materials system must resist to unexpected changes of its inner tensions. Claude Levi-Strauss is linking bricolage with “mythical thinking”, which is inherent to aboriginal communities using adaptive thinking and random things and materials from the surrounding environment. Mythical thinking is in opposition with science based engineer thinking of modern society. “Bricoleur is able to perform various operations, but unlike engineer, one is independent from fixed list of materials and tools meant for this particular work. Bricoleurs instrumental universe is limited and main rule is always to adapt with present resources.” Marginal need for verbal expression during bricolage as a process is one of the key concepts of Finnish sculptor Jyrki Siukonen. In his book “Hammer and Silence”, he is using the term “silent awareness” to describe an intuitive decision-making process which is constantly recreating itself during working. In the performative lecture “Savage mind in theatre”, I will map the potentiality of random things to be combined into objects which can perform mechanical movements. Savage mind in the process of silent awareness will search for possibilities of organic combinations. Useless machines for physical interactions will be constructed under the surveillance of the audience.
Erik Alalooga (1974) is Estonian performing artist, experimental musician, and sculptor, who is mainly known for using analog technological solutions in his artworks. Since 2005, he has focused on the exploration of relationships between human and machine. He started to construct interactive machines for installations. Since 2011, his activities can be defined as post-dramatic theatre. Performances from this period have been dealing with a physical body in raw contact with matter and technology, as well as focusing on the use of interactive sound and light. “Resistance of Material” won the prize of Estonian Independent Dance 2012. Later, Alalooga has applied technological solutions in experimental music and performance art. He has shown his works at all major performing art festivals in Estonia, but also during different projects in the Nordic-Baltic region, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, USA, and Australia.
Alalooga has graduated from the sculpture department of Estonian Art Academy (BA 2002) and interdisciplinary art chair (MA 2004). Since 2018, he is a student in the doctoral program of Theatre Art at the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy. Between 2006 and 2010, he worked as the associate professor of interdisciplinary art chair, between 2010 and 2013 he served as the head of performing art chair of Estonian Art Academy.