HAS BEEN - Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Martin Zimmerman

Two leading creators from circus and dance explore together a wordless universe in which an aging diva and her caregiver enter into a bitter, poetic relationship around transience, power, and farewell. Two leading figures from contemporary circus and dance bring their thought worlds together for the first time in this performance. De Zwitserse choreographer and scenographer Martin Zimmermann combines contemporary circus, dance, theater, and striking scenographic installations to create wordless, absurd performances. De Belgisch-Moroccan artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is artistic director of the Ballet van Genève and makes performances with his own company, Eastman. His work is characterized by his insatiable curiosity for other forms of movement and artistic legacies. In HAS BEEN, Zimmermann and Cherkaoui cast a humorous but at the same time clear look at the effects of transience and reflect on their own artistic mortality. According to the logic of decay, the duo playfully dismantles the cultural myth of “faded glory”. Cherkaoui, inspired by big names from show business, plays an aging diva – at once patriarch, showgirl, and shaman. Zimmermann becomes her servant and caregiver, perhaps her last fan, a reflection of approaching death. Crucially, both are marked by transient time. In a universe where Swiss Dadaism and Belgian Surrealism meet, the rules are strange, bodies speak unknown languages, and emotions take on extreme proportions. It is not an experience to imagine – it must be seen and felt. This collaboration brings together two important figures of contemporary theater, two thought worlds that are both brilliantly creative but yet different. De Zwitserse choreographer and scenographer Martin Zimmermann has profoundly influenced the movement of contemporary circus by creating a wordless visual universe that appeals to a wide audience. De Belgisch-Moroccan artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui meanwhile moves fluidly between institutional and independent work. As artistic director of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, he choreographs both for his own company Eastman and for pop icons such as Madonna and Beyoncé. Read the program text