Damien Jalet. Kohei Nawa. Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

AUSTRIAN PREMIERE
FESTIVAL HOUSE CO-PRODUCTION
A total work of art for all senses: Damien Jalet, in collaboration with artist Kohei Nawa, creates a dance-visual journey that explores the limits of our perception for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Dance between reality and illusion: Inspired by the natural phenomenon of the Fata Morgana – an optical illusion created by light distortions – choreographer Damien Jalet and visual artist Kohei Nawa create a stage world where reality and deception flow seamlessly into one another. At the center is humanity, which, in search of what it means to be human, traverses a metaphorical desert landscape behind the veil of illusion. The 16 performers undergo a series of physical and emotional metamorphoses on their journey: Initially wandering as individual seekers through a barren landscape, they increasingly intertwine botanical and animal elements, with the individual becoming part of a larger, living organism. As a sensual journey through changing states of nature, a lush, tropical stage world emerges from the emptiness of the desert. Mirage is a piece about the evolving nature of humanity – fleeting, vulnerable, and always in the process of becoming.

Damien Jalet, an associated artist of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève since 2022, presents Mirage as his first world premiere with the company. Known for his visually striking contemporary style, he recently gained international attention as the choreographer of the award-winning musical film Emilia Pérez (2024) by Jaques Audiard. Mirage is the fourth collaborative work with visual artist Kohei Nawa, following VESSEL (2016), Mist (2021), and Planet[wanderer] (2021), whose artistic practice offers a dynamic interpretation of the concept of sculpture. His works provide sensual experiences that reference the physical properties of materials and engage with themes of life and the cosmos, as well as...