 Back to the Present
DaimlerChrysler and the
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan have tied up to foster
Indo-German cultural enrichment.
Highlights
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MMB and DC present Constanza Macras & Dorky Park in 'Back to the
Present'.
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Being held in Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi, in association with Attakkalari,
The Other Festival and The National School of Drama respectively.
With a view to fostering better understanding and opportunities for cultural enrichment between the people of Germany and India, DaimlerChrysler and the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, along with Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, presented the Asian première of 'Back to the Present' at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore recently.
The scintillating contemporary dance-theatre performance by the Berlin-based ensemble - Dorky Park - has been conceptualised by Constanza Macras, the renowned Argentinean choreographer. In Delhi, 'Back to the Present' was performed on December 8, at The National School of Drama.
The production was presented as part of The Other Festival in Chennai on December 5.
In 2001, DaimlerChrysler signed an agreement with the Goethe-Institut, to support select programmes and activities of the 23 Goethe-Institutes in Asia for 2002–2004, including New Delhi, Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Peking, Hong Kong, Seoul, Jakarta and Bangkok.
Speaking on the occasion, Hans-Michael Huber, CEO and managing director of DaimlerChrysler India, said, “Such cultural exchanges are extremely significant as they help appreciate different cultures and values. DaimlerChrysler celebrates its 10th anniversary in India this year and I am confident that such cultural initiatives will go a long way in creating stronger bonds between our cultures.”
In a statement, Heiko Sievers, regional programme director of Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, called the event “a perfect example of cutting-edge contemporary culture from Germany informed by the hybrid international mix and the high professional standards of the ‘new Berlin’, the cultural hub of Germany”. He also emphasised the importance of corporate involvement in the presentation of cultural ‘high-end’ products from Germany and expressed his appreciation for the commitment of DaimlerChrysler to the arts.
With the induction of three Indian guest artistes, Constanza Macras has specially adapted her site-specific production 'Back to the Present' for presentation in India. A first version of 'Back to the Present' was performed in the summer of 2003 at the Kaufhaus Jahn, a derelict department store in the centre of former East Berlin. After its immense success, the choreographer created a stage version of 'Back to the Present' at the chaubuehne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin. In her production, she invites the spectator on a journey into the past: memory as looped feedback. Where do you go when you don’t want to deal with the'past or the future?
About Culture in Motion
The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institution which operates on a global scale, with 144 institutes in 78 countries. It promotes the study of the German language and encourages international cultural exchange. It also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics. The Goethe-Institut draws most of its resources from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
As a global company, DaimlerChrysler has many business activities in Asia and considers the cooperation with the Goethe-Institut as part of its social and cultural corporate responsibilities. The slogan 'Culture in Motion' emphasises this cooperation between the two organisations and highlights such areas of synergy.
About ‘Back to the Present’
Back to the Present lives in a sort of limbo between the layers of one’s own history, leaving behind medals, uniforms and costumes, old props and programmes, video recordings, broken and useless pieces of the set. Extending this further, the debris of past self-destructive relationships: Torn cinema tickets, old phone numbers, love letters, cards from Valentine’s Day. In the end, every mission - ancient Rome, old relationships, the space station MIR - ends in garbage, ruin and debris. Getting “back to the present”, therefore, means living on top of numerous layers of yesterday’s throwaways, or, still better, underneath and between them: the context and physical setting for this production.
Contemporary German dance-theatre, 'Back to the Present', is bred in the fast-changing reality of post-unification Berlin. After the success of the site-specific performance in the Kaufhaus Jandorf, Constanza Macras, in collaboration with the Schaubuehne am Lehniner Platz Berlin, created a stage version of 'Back to the Present'.
In her India tour of Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi, Constanza presents this version of Back to the Present, which has been specially adapted for India with the participation of Indian guest artistes.
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