German premiere

A human being is oppressed by the infernal rhythms of technology. In an imaginary city, breathtaking video, film and slide images race by, testifying to the sprinkling of the media, the electrical devices in the home, the hustle and bustle and the noise on the street. Escape seems impossible, and yet this is only one side of the coin, for the dream of a human existence cannot be dreamed without technology.

And in the middle of it all, a human being – fragile, but full of strength and energy. He has something in common with the small moon “Io”, which orbits the large planet Jupiter. Its hot, volcanic eruptions keep it constantly active. If man does not want to become a malleable machine himself, it is necessary to find a dialogue between the art of living and technology. ln the gears of everyday urban life, the dogged struggle for top performance alternates with pauses for breath. In this, playful elements of technology and lively images full of light and music that emerge from it can also be discovered. Finally, when the technical delirium is artistically abstracted into the lyrical, the question remains: what future does man have in the universe of inevitable technologies?

Jean-Marc Matos completed studies in computer science and industrial electronics and taught electronics and mathematics in Caracas and at New York University. At the same time, he trained in dance and choreography at the Cunningham Studio in New York and also studied other modern dance styles. He also developed a graphic system for recording choreographies by computer.

The Companie K. Danse goes back to a troupe founded by Matos in New York in 1979, which he renamed after his return to France in 1983. So far, he has realised 23 choreographies with the company and has performed at many important festivals in Europe, New York and Montréal. The theme of man in the big city, coupled with new scenic technologies, can already be found several times in Matos’ earlier productions. After its Paris premiere in 1992, the piece “Io” was performed several times with spectacular success at the famous Palais de Tokyo in Paris, in addition to numerous performances in France, Belgium and Pakistan.