The 18th international performing arts festival SAAL Biennaal will take place from the 14th to the 31st of August in Tallinn. The programme of this edition has been condensed into three week-ends during which there is an opportunity to meet the work of 13 different artists. The focus of the festival this year is on the bodily wildness and the variations of a certain sensation of displacement.
“The body of the SAAL Biennaal 2019 programme is based on a very personal body-centered approach to life in general – perceiving and relating to others and to life situations through one's bodily presence. Thereby I have invited a range of artists who, in their work, are highly conscious about the possible blindspots and blurred areas of this body-centeredness. These works encourage us to face the wildness of our own bodies or challenge our willingness to be completely present, that is to be totally embodied embracing all the beauty and horror in the present moment. I also sense the importance of staying bodily present to the current socio-political situation, because it would provide us with a prerequisite for facing our basic emotions that are prone to manipulation.”
Annika Üprus, curator of SAAL Biennaal 2019
The artists invited to be part of the SAAL Biennaal 2019 programme are Adriano Wilfert Jensen (DK), Madlen Hirtentreu (EE), Alissa Šnaider (EE), Mali Weil (IT), Ruslan Stepanov (EE), Artjom Astrov (EE), Sara Leghissa / Strasse (IT), Marion Siéfert (FR), Sigrid Savi (EE), Núria Guiu Sagarra (Catalonia), Anne Lise Le Gac (FR), Francesca Grilli (IT), Mette Ingvartsen (BE/DK), Florentina Holzinger (BE).
SAAL Biennaal consists of several works resulting from long-term dialogue with the artists and are co-produced by Kanuti Gildi SAAL and SAAL Biennaal. Among these the performances by Adriano Wilfert Jensen, Francesca Grilli and Mali Weil, as well as the performative installation by Madlen Hirtentreu, a new work by Alissa Šnaider, and the urbanscape action by Sara Leghissa.
Most of the works are in the familiar form of a show and take place in traditional theatre space – Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Sakala 3 Theatre House, STL, Von Krahl Theatre, but there are also those which will occupy the urban space and even the still innovation-resistant and awe-inspiring seaside building of Noblessner Shipyard.
The current edition of SAAL Biennaal is special, because the three week-ends include, in addition to performances, other related events and activities. The works in the programme have been selected in collaboration with the festival Parallèle in Marseilles accordingly to the project MORE THAN THIS which takes place 2018-2021 and is supported by EU Culture Programme. In relation to this there will be organised discussions in collaboration with the Italian curator and theorist Simone Frangi during the second week-end of the festival. These discussions flow from the concepts of hospitality, displacement, complexity, political body and reflect the on-going performances.
Considering the importance of engaging with the local contemporary dance and performing arts community SAAL Biennaal with its visiting artists will pay a visit to the self-organising residency centre of Massia during the event TANTSUMASSIV organised by Estonian dance artists. A workshop with Florentina Holzinger and the European kickboxing champion Orinta van der Zee will take place in collaboration with TantsuRUUM during the last week-end of the festival.
SAAL Biennaal 2019 supporters and partners are Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Tallinn Department of Culture, project MORE THAN THIS supported by EU Culture Programme, i-Portunus supported by EU Culture Programme, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), Flemish Government, French Institute of Estonia, Valmiermuiža, Von Krahli Theatre, Noblessner Shipyard, Sakala 3 Theatre House among others.
SAAL Biennaal 2019 from 14th to 31st of August in Tallinn.
Festival curator: Annika Üprus
More info and the full programme: https://saal.ee/et/festival/5937/program
Pre-sale tickets from Piletilevi: www.piletilevi.ee
14+15+16+17.08
14.08 / 20:00+21:00+22:00 & 16.08 / 16:00+17:00+18:00 Noblessner Shipyard
MADLEN HIRTENTREU (Estonia) “Clinic after boat”
14+15.08 / 18:00 & 16.08 / 21:00 Sakala 3 venue
ADRIANO WILFERT JENSEN (Denmark) “feelings”
15.08 / 18:00 & 16.08 / 17:00+19:00 Kanuti Gildi SAAL
MALI WEIL (Italy) “Forests / Unlearning”
15.08 / 20:00 Noblessner Shipyard
ALISSA ŠNAIDER (Estonia) “Weird tales I have tried to write” / PREMIERE
*17.08 day trip to Massia residency centre in Massiaru
SAAL Biennaal meets TANTSUMASSIIV
22+23+24.08
22+23+24.08 / 15:00-18:00 Kanuti Gildi SAAL
MORE THAN THIS moments of reflections "Revolutionaries with no papers: Activation against the lazyness of practices" discussions led by SIMONE FRANGI (Italy) in collaboration with PARALLÈLE festival (France)
22+23+24.08 / 18:30 Nunne street poster wall
SARA LEGHISSA / STRASSE (Italy) “(SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF)”
22.08 / 19:00 Von Krahl Theatre
MARION SIÉFERT (France) “Le Grand Sommeil”
22.08 / 21:00 STL
RUSLAN STEPANOV, ARTJOM ASTROV (Estonia) “performance at STL”
23.08 / 16:00+17:00+18:00 & 24.08 14:00-19:00 Noblessner Shipyard
MADLEN HIRTENTREU (Estonia) “Clinic after boat”
23.08 /19:30 Kanuti Gildi SAAL
SIGRID SAVI (Estonia) “Pushing Daisies”
23.08 / 21:00 Von Krahl Theatre
NÚRIA GUIU SAGARRA (Catalonia) “Likes”
24.08 / 21:00 Kanuti Gildi SAAL
ANNE LISE LE GAC (France) “La Caresse du Coma ft. Ange 92 Kcal”
24.08 / 22:00 Kauplus Aasia
SAAL Biennaal meets Nyform
29+30+31.08
29.08 / 17:00-19:00 & 30.08 16:00-19:00 & 31.08 14:00-18:00 Noblessner Shipyard
MADLEN HIRTENTREU (Estonia) “Clinic after boat”
29.08 / 20:00 Noblessner Shipyard
SAAL Biennaal meets Serious Serious
29+30.08 / 17:00+18:00 Kanuti Gildi SAAL Cellar Hall
FRANCESCA GRILLI (Italy) “Sparks”
30.08 / 19:00 Sakala 3 venue
METTE INGVARTSEN (Belgium-Denmark) “21 pornographies”
30.08 / 10:00-14:00 & 31.08 / 11:00-15:00 TANTSURUUM
Florentina Holzinger Orinta van der Zee transformatory fighting workshop
30+31.08 / 21:00 Kanuti Gildi SAAL
FLORENTINA HOLZINGER (Austria-Belgium) “Apollon”