ROGALAND THEATER STAVANGER/NORGE
17.02.2024 – 25.04.2024
DRACULA: THE ICONIC FIGURE OF EVIL
VISUAL ART, FILM, MUSIC AND PERFORMING ART ON THE THEATER STAGE
“Dracula” at Rogaland Theater in Norway is an example of a work of art that combines visual art, installation art, performance, text, music, and video art into what we can define as a “Gesamtkunstwerk”. In this regard, “Dracula” serves as a programmatic piece showcasing W&A’s endeavour to create complex interdisciplinary artworks.
The text for this performative artwork is based on Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula”, originally published in 1897. The plot of the novel has inspired numerous vampire films, notably early silent movies (like F. W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu” from 1923), which have remained iconic representations of vampire horror even in contemporary times.
While war and violent conflicts are seemingly perpetual human phenomena, at times, the root causes of wars and terror can be attributed to the disturbed personalities of historical figures such as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, or Vladimir Putin. The recent Russian aggression in Ukraine can be traced back to the actions of one individual: the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He embodies the modern-day version of Dracula, metaphorically draining the lifeblood of the Ukrainian people.
Dracula’s statement:
“My project is like a global virus. I, a bloodthirsty count from Transylvania, am about to bring the world back to the dark Middle Ages, when fear, violence, and blood determined the course of development, not international laws, rules, and scientific reasoning.
In the dark Middle Ages, a leader of an imperialistic nation could wage war against another nation without scruples because they wanted to incorporate that people into their empire. War, with its horrors and human sacrifices, was considered a normal action. The bloody war could be justified by political, religious, or historical arguments.
And that’s how it is becoming now, after I, Count Dracula, have released my virus. A virus of contempt for democracy and denial of scientific reasoning. It is an infectious virus composed of myths and conspiracy theories.
Welcome back to the dark Middle Ages! Welcome to the age of wars! Welcome to the age of Dracula, in which blood flows freely!”