COPRODUCTION

In a laboratory, a group of researchers combine their forces to conduct a groundbreaking experiment. They are on a quest for science's holy grail: immortality. But their attempt to crack the code of life seems to spiral into an obsession. They see monsters being born out of objects, other people, themselves.

In Golem Thomas Ryckewaert gets to work with The Homunculus of Maimonides, a 14th century Jewish legend. Maimonides, a notorious man of science, is looking for the secret of creation - hoping to outwit death.

Using a stilled, filmic imagery, Ryckewaert combines contemporary science and an age-old human ambition. The desire to create (eternal) life goes hand in hand with a coeval fear: the creation of something that outflanks us. It's a theme that has been fascinating man for ages: from the mythical Golem, passing by Frankenstein to artificial intelligence. A visual performance on the small border between creation and destruction, between reason and fear.

scenario / direction Thomas Ryckewaert scenography Erki De Vries light Giacomo Gorini sound Senjan Jansen assistant director Sibran Sampers production Wolff vzw / Hiros coproduction deSingel (Antwerp), Kaaitheater (Brussels), Vooruit (Ghent), TAKT Dommelhof (Neerpelt), Platform 0090 (Antwerp) in collaboration with Kunstencentrum BUDA (Kortrijk), WP Zimmer (Antwerp) with the support of The Flemish Community, the City of Antwerp.