Arcimboldo Whenever we decide to celebrate a jubilee, we inevitably turn our eyes to the past. We look back in order to critically evaluate our legacy, contemplating about what was, what was not, what could have been or what should never happen. This could be a sentimental journey – and often it is – but not in our case, because we were blessed with a very diverse, sometimes very turbulent and dramatic past. We look back at a colorful prism, a rich spectrum – a rain- bow consisting of sun and rain. Today, there is no time for evaluation of what we have achieved. Today we want to celebrate and leave the evaluation to the future. But I inevitably ask myself one single question: “If you have to give a concise account of what you were trying to do in the last 25 years, what would you say ?” – My answer is: “We have tried to build bridges”. Bridges over “troubled waters” within our lives, trying to connect the positive islands inside us. Making bridges between people, whose souls are of very different origins and beliefs. Bridges are such a wonderful symbol of crossing to a new territory, symbol of meeting people from the “other side”. Constructing a bridge is traditionally always a cause for celebration. In this place I cannot omit to mention my feeling of deep sadness when I heard of the shameless and deliberate destruction of the famous bridge of Mostar during the Bosnian war. We have decided to build bridges – bridges between people, countries, nations, continents and people of different ethnic origins. Finally, but probably essentially – we have tried to build bridges between ourselves and our audiences. This production, named “Arcimboldo 2000” represents such a crossing. It is a work on which many creative people of all 3 companies of Nederlands Dans Theater take part - NDT I, NDT II, and NDT III. Although there is a clear division between the stage and the auditorium, the “entertainers” and the viewers are covered by one roof and share the same space for a while. This was the main message I wanted to convey to our audience. In fact, this performance was created for our public. It is our “present”, not only to the thousands of people who have shown an unbroken support for our art, but also for newcomers in order to take them on a trip of “initiation”. But, please note – bridges are built for someone, who must make the crossing by himself and of his free will...
This project bears the name of a charismatic artist, wizard, alchemist, and an entertainer at the royal courts of Vienna and Prague. He was originally engaged as portraitist, but soon his diverse talents and interests were discovered and his tasks and activities have changed accordingly. He became a “royal entertainer” on a grand scale. Being engaged at the royal court of Prague by Rudolf II, the Czech King and Roman Emperor – was certainly the right place for Arcimboldo. The surreal atmosphere of Prague under the rule of Rudolf was legendary. The King’s love for art, alchemy, astronomy, astrology and science was well known (and is very well documented). Accordingly – Prague has become an important cultural centre of Europe. It became a “greenhouse”, not only for art and science, but also for fraud, intrigue and decadence. Arcimboldo must have felt very much at home in this atmosphere, so personally tinted by the (sometimes strange) personal taste of the Emperor. He became the master of ceremony. He was in charge of all royal festivities ordered by the king: banquets, tournaments, competitions, fireworks or water games – all devised for pure entertainment. As I mentioned before, our production is designed as a present to our public – it should be, and I hope it will be - entertainment. Celebrating a jubilee (40 years of existence of NDT and my commitment to this company for 25 years) doesn’t mean only looking back but also looking at the future. In my eyes, this unique institution should not expand any further, but should always be a sensitive instrument registering even the smallest changes of people’s behavior, social structure and the inexplicable wanderings of human souls. These themes and many others should be sensitively portrayed through our art as a mirror of the passing of time. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery – but today is a gift, that is why we call it “the present”. Jiří Kylián