At once gamified group meditation and generative group choreography, Mandala offers an embodied sonic experience by encapsulating its entire audience within a resonant soundscape.
Before entering the performance space, participants are given a simple set of instructions and a specific line on the floor to follow with a portable speaker. Each speaker plays one layer of the composition, thus every participant’s movement contributes to the emergence of a moving symphony of sounds. Harmonising their movement on these routes is a complex task requiring continuous non-verbal negotiation, and brings about various patterns of movement that almost resemble a dance – one that allows participants to reflect on their own behavior and social cues as well as those of the entire group.
The temporary community formed by the participants have complete agency over how the collective choreography unfolds, hence each performance is completely unique. To date, it has flown through the architecture a wide-ranging variety of locations – including a swimming pool (Bulgaria, 2019), a courtyard (Cairo, 2022), a busy city square (Budapest, 2016), an ancient monument (Turkey, 2021), a forest (Nagykovácsi, 2017), a large garden (Prague, 2019) or a black-box theatre (London, 2016) - Mandala has taken form over 100 times since its premiere in 2016.
The piece was also developed towards an integrated version for differently abled people.
REVIEWS:
„From a personalized, introverted, meditative state the game quickly grows into a precisely framed, but highly enjoyable community performace.”Csaba Králl, Élet és Irodalom
“A workshop in social relations. A microcosm would be the easiest one-word review. (...) The fundamental aspects of space and time are made and remade in Somló’s sensitive handling.”
Alexandra Baybutt, Bellyflop Magazin
“An eye-opening, stimulating night of theatre, one of the most innovative I have seen. (...) Dávid Somló’s production creates a stunning soundscape, allowing us to focus on the interactions.”
Rebecca Gwyther, A Young Theatre
"It’s a rare piece of participatory performance art."
Tabish Khan, FAD Magazine
DATES:
2024 March 21-23., // Nebenan Ungarn Festival, Hellerau, Dresden, GER
2023 Dec. 2. // Jurányi Ház, Budapest, HU
2023 Aug. 3-5. // Passage Festival, Helsingor, DK
2022 Oct. 16-17. // D-CAF Festival, Cairo, Egypt
2022 Jun. 27. // Giornate del Respiro Festival, Sardinia, Italy
2022 May. 26. // Praesentia exhibition opening, Hugarian Holy Land Church, Budapest
2022 May. 14. // AQB, Budapest
2022 Feb. 26.-27. // Istanbul Fringe, Turkey
2021 Aug. 27. // Bergama Theatre Festival, Bergama, Turkey
2020 Nov. 9. //Trafó House, Budapest
2020 Jan. 15. //Sín Arts Center, Budapest
2019 Oct 5. // AZVLM No.2., Dürer Kert, Budapest
2019 Aug. 31.-Sept.1. // Water Festival, Burgas, Bulgaria
2019 July 28. // Contact Zones Festival, Gudhejm, Denmark
2019 July 23. // Cross Garden, Prague
2019 July 5-6. // Azure Festival, Csabdi, Hungary
2019 April 10. // Kino Siska, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2019 Feb. 30. // MU Színház, Budapest, Hungary
2018 Nov. 13. // Open Festival, MU Színház, Budapest, Hungary
2018 Nov. 3-4. // Immersive Hubs Festival, Hague, Netherlands
2018 July 13-14. // Bánkitó fesztivál, Bánk, Hungary
2018 June 14-16. // Kolorádó fesztivál, Nagykovácsi, Hungary
2017 June 9-11. // Kolorádó fesztivál, Budapest, Hungary
2017 May 26-27. // Mais Imaginarius Festival, Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal
2016 Nov. 26. // Sonorities Festival, Catalyst Arts Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2016 Nov. 12. // Jazzaj 5th Birthday, Trafó House, Budapest, Hungary
2016 Oct. 26. // Reality Reseach Festival, Boráros tér, Budapest, Hungary
2016 July 20. // Festival Internacional de Musica Experimental, Sao Paolo, Brazil
2016 July 4. // CROSS International performance awards, Verbania, Italy
2016 June 11. // We Are Now Festival, Roundhouse, London, United Kingdom
2016 May 24-28. // Now’16 Festival, The Yard Theatre, London, United Kingdom
2016 April 4. // Montag Modus, Collegium Hungaricum, Berlin, Germany
2016 March 12. // Audiograft Festival, Oxford, United Kingdom PREMIER
2016 Feb 25. // ACTS REACTS 3, UAL, Wimbledon, United Kingdom - (Work-In-Progress)
2015 Nov. 29. // ‘Mandala’, EXHIBI[4]TIONS, Rich Mix, London, United Kingdom (Work-In-Progress),
2015 Nov. 28. // Mandala’, The Works, Brighton Dome, Brighton, United Kingdom, (Work-In-Progress)
