Dziennik/ Diary

Who am I writing for? If I write for myself, then why is it published? If I write for the reader, why do I pretend to talk to myself? Do you talk to yourself so that others will hear you? p.34,Diary Volume 1

The concept for the performance "DZIENNIKI/DIARY" was based on Witold Gombrowicz's "Diary" written in the years 1953-1969. Thanks to the themes taken up by the writer, such as the search for one's own identity or functioning in imposed social conventions, despite the passing of the years, the notes seem to be very up-to-date. Also, the diary as a form is very personal, private, which is close to the times of the pandemic, when we were all faced with a situation of isolation and for most of us it was a period of spending more time with ourselves than usual.

In the performance, three elements enter into dialogue with each other on stage: sound, video and movement, which, in combination with fragments of Gombrowicz's "Diary", create an intimate character of the performance. Moving in the background of the projection, the choreographer, Anastasia Valsamaki, responds to "controlling" video images (mainly depicting her body, simultaneous in various micro-choreographies, edited live by Katarzyna Debska) and sounds (compositions by Jerzy Mączyński, performed live by the composer on a percussion and electronic installation specially prepared for the performance), creating an atmosphere of tension and opening up to reflection on the shape of the "I". The music is interrupted by moments of silence and we can hear a voice saying excerpts from "Diary". (Małgorzata Potocka).

"DIARY" is the second collaboration between the Polish composer and musician Jerzy Mączyński, stage designer and video artist Katarzyna Dębska and Greek choreographer and performer Anastasia Valsamaki. They were the artists who were invited to a residency supported by the Polish Institute of Adam Mickiewicz to do the residency at the EIGHT gallery. "Critical institute for arts and politics in Athens, where they created the interdisciplinary performance INFLOW OUTFLOW in October 2021.