Playful Shadows

Playful Shadows is an exploration of the source of culture, play, and human enjoyment

With his reflections on the playing man, the Homo ludens, Johan Huizinga acquired worldwide renown as a cultural philosopher. 'For a long time I have become increasingly convinced," he writes in the introduction, "that human civilization arises and unfolds in and as play.' According to Huizinga, all culture is rooted in play; art, literature, science, language, economics, sport, religion, parliamentary politics, war. Who is man still as a playing creature? The festival Playful Shadows explores the diverse and sometimes contradictory elements of play and pleasure. La Obra (the play) by Mariano Pensotti offers an intriguing perspective on how people wrestle with the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Here play becomes a powerful tool for both escape and self-discovery. Until one day, the masks slip. Age of Content by (LA)HORDE takes a deep dive into the digital era of platforms such as TikTok and OnlyFans, where dancers explore the boundaries of human movement and expression. This performance throws up an increasingly pressing question: what happens to our body and our emotions when virtual play increasingly invades our reality? The concert with American-Canadian violinist Leila Josefowicz promises to be a feast of musical expression. She is not called a force of nature for nothing: with her, old music sounds sparkling and new again, while she makes modern compositions feel as if they have always existed. Together with Ensemble Resonanz, she performs a bold and playful programme that perfectly reflects her virtuosity and daring. A recruiting musical carousel!

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