Þóranna Dögg Björnsdóttir, composer, and Antonín Šilar, scenic designer, will give a talk about their collaboration and contribution to Studio Hrdinů’s theatrical adaptation of the novel Moonstone by the contemporary Icelandic author Sjón, an interdisciplinary project led by an international team of Czech and Icelandic creatives and experts directed by Kamila Polívková.
The story, set in Iceland in 1918, evolves around Máni Steinn and Sóla, two queer rebels, who do not fit into the society that attracts them as much as it disapproves of them. The protagonist of the novel and the production are captivated by the world of silent film. Máni Steinn escapes into it and perceives a world around him to which he does not belong as if he were a character in a film. He yearns to live a life in a cinematic form, similar to the members of the cosplay subculture. Therefore, the production takes on the characteristics of a silent movie theatre experience, complete with all its associated elements. It combines live music, film, and text subtitles, all of which then extend into the surrealistic subconscious world of Máni Steinn. The creative process was distinctive in its duration and the integral cocreation of all its components. The story of “The Boy Who Didn’t Exist” also unfolds against the backdrop of nature’s conflict with humanity. On a quiet isolated island a volcano is erupting and the Spanish flu virus is sweeping across the world.
In their presentation Þóranna and Antonín will put the topic of this year’s conference in the context of the cultural and historical conflicts depicted in The Moonstone.
Þóranna Dögg Björnsdóttir’s bio
Þóranna Dögg Björnsdóttir (born 1976) is an artist based in Reykjavík, Iceland. Björnsdóttir’s works are focused on the act of listening, representing themes such as an intuitive medium and knowledge – knowing and being allowing sounds to ignite myriad images and associations which give rise to various outcomes in form, time and space. Her work has built upon the interplay of film and live music performances and takes on the form of sculpture, performance and soundwork. Her subject‑matters are varied but often revolve around human nature and a person’s worldview, how it shapes and progresses. Through a multidisciplinary approach her practice often places the viewer or the audience in the centre of the work. Þóranna has exhibited her work widely and performed at numerous concerts and art festivals in Iceland as well as abroad.
Antonín Šilar’s bio
Antonín Šilar (born 1986) is a graduate of stage design from the Prague KALD DAMU. He is generally engaged in stage and production design. He has been exploring the interpenetration of various forms of theatre and film for a long time. He is fascinated with the stage “twisted reality”, with its reflection of the subconscious and states of mind. He participated in projects in Finland, USA, Japan, Iceland, and the Berlin HAU Theatre. Šilar gained experiences as a stage designer at the National Theatre in Prague, the Slovak National Theatre, the National Theatre in Mannheim, the Studio Hrdinů and the HaDivadlo – together with directors such as Petra Tejnorová, Kamila Polívková, Ivan Buraj, and Jiří Havelka, among many others. He is the co‑director of the Czech-Austrian experimental movie Menandros&Thaïs, which won the Association of Directors and Screenwriters Award, and the theatre production Gorgó at the Prague X10 Theatre.