Montažstroj
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Montažstroj,[1] known as MONTAЖ$TROJ, is a Croatian art collective which creates "socially engaged projects" in theatre, dance, music, visual, and audio-visual arts.
Montažstroj is a Croatian neologism, of the words "montage" and "machine." According to the collective, "montage" encapsulates concepts of fusion, film/video editing, and assembly line work. "Machine" refers to early 20th century futuristic ideals as well as a sense of order and discipline.[2]
Founded by current artistic director Borut Šeparović in 1989, Montažstroj has since gained international attention. The collective notably toured the United States and Europe in 1994, and has earned recognition in dance and physical theatre.
Montažstroj continues to be active in 2025. Their most recent work in 2023 is:
TOUR A four-hour journey through time and the space of the unfinished University Hospital in Zagreb, a symbol of missed opportunities and civilizational stagnation in Croatian society.
Football and pop culture
[edit]For the initial seven years Montažstroj's work focused on theatrical representation of the football and pop culture. In those years the collective produced several performances, installations, award-winning videos, and choreographic works. Experiences with of real socialism, changes occurring in post-communist Croatia, and the war in former Yugoslavia, influenced and defined Montažstroj's unique artistic actions. The collective's performance material was grounded in everyday events, often leading to a radical stage reality. Montažstroj's first professional production, "VATROTEHNA", was performed in 1990 in an abandoned area of the old Badel distillery. 'RAP OPERA 101' was an adaptation of antic myths in the context of global satellite programs and local war. Montažstroj came into a global spotlight in 1991, with their music video 'CROATIA IN FLAME' - a direct artistic engagement in an effort to help their homeland. The collective continued with interpretations of post‐communist transitional myths, leading to Montažstroj being labeled as a theater of transition.
Performing unit
[edit]In 1997, Montažstroj started working on its long‐term objective - building an international company with a strong artistic identity, unbound by a particular culture. Operating predominantly in the Netherlands under the name Performingunit, the group focused on the position of the individual and identity, attempting to avoid spectacular theatrical elements and instead highlighting the presence of performers as the main component of the production. In this period Montažstroj's performances were more intimate. They produced works such as 'TERRIBLE FISH' based on Sylvia Plath’s poetry, ‘WHO IS WOYZECK?’ based on Büchner's canonic text Western Theater, and ‘THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD’ based on a story by Danilo Kiš.
Interdisciplinary projects
[edit]Montažstroj's projects ‘T‐FORMANCE’, ‘T‐FAKTOR’ and ‘THIS IS THE THEATER YOU DESERVE’ were multimedia interactive events which explored the phenomenon of terrorism. Special emphasis was placed on the use of new media. In Montažstroj's 2008 production 'TIMBUKTU', a play that discussed themes of social exclusion, youth in the audience remote-controlled cars on stage.
Social engagement
[edit]‘MY HEART BEATS FOR HER' in 2010 presented what seemed to be two unrelated subjects – football and unemployed women. This work was a reconstruction of the Croatian victory over England at the Wembley Stadium on November 21, 2007. Also in 2010, Montažstroj produced VATROTEHNA 2.0. which reviewed social changes in Croatia over the ten years prior.
Following in 2014 was Montažstroj's ‘LITTLE MAN WANTS TO CROSS THE LINE’ (LMWCL) inspired by cult Yugoslav new wave album ‘Paket aranžman’.
Montažstroj's new video ‘COMMUNISM’ is currently being broadcast on MTV. The video is a fragment of the multimedia project 'WHERE'S THE REVOLUTION, SCUM?'
Film
[edit]The project 'COUNTERATTACK' (2013, still in pre-production) tackles the issue of landmines in relation to environmental pollution and the impact of war. Dancers step into the minefields to see if the danger is still present and lying hidden in the ground. 'COUNTERATTACK' is a project in which dance is more than art, every step is a matter of life and death. This project highlights the landmine problem and the role of audio-visual and performing arts.
About Borut Šeparović
[edit]Borut Šeparović was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1967. He graduated in Philosophy and Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb and later graduated with a postgraduate degree from the graduate school at Das Arts (Advanced Studies in Performance Arts) in Amsterdam.[3]
Performances
[edit]1990. FIRE-TECHNICS (text ‘Prometheus Bound’ by Aeschylus), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1991. RAP OPERA 101 (text ‘Philoktetes’ by Sophocles & H. Mueller), Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: festival Eurokaz, Zagreb
1993. ENJOY MONTAZSTROJ! (dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1994. EVERYBODY GOES 2 DISCO FROM MOSCOW 2 SAN FRANCISCO (dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1995. DISCO RE-MIX (dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1996. EURO-BODY (dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1997. EXERCISES MOBILE sections + CONVERTIBLE sections (work-in-progress), Montazstroj, Zagreb with different partners
1999. FRAGILE (dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb & Performingunit, Breda; co-production: Intercult, B.I.T., Frascati
2000. DUET (dance performance), Performingunit, Breda
2001. TRUTH OR DARE? (performance), Performingunit, Breda; co-production: Chasse Theater Breda, Frascati Amsterdam
2001. TERRIBLE FISH (performance based on the poem “Three Women” by Sylvia Plath), Performingunit, Breda
2002. WHO IS? WOYZECK (based on “Woyzeck” by Georg Buchner), Performingunit, Breda
2004. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD (based on the story “Encyclopedia of the Dead” by Danilo Kiš), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2007. T-PERFORMANCE (interactive performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
2007. THE THEATER YOU DESERVE (interactive event), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
2008. TIMBUKTU (theatre, participatory project), Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: Zagreb Puppet Theatre Travno, Zagreb
2009. I F*** ON THE FIRST DATE (theatre, project on location, participatory project), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2009. ZAGREB BY NIGHT (theatre, project on location, action), Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: Banana Guerilla, Zagreb
2009. T-FACTOR (theatre, project on location, participatory project), Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: Festival Perforacije, Zagreb, Rijeka, Dubrovnik
2010. MY HEART BEATS FOR HER (theatre, dance) Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: Tala Dance Center, Zagreb
2010. FIRE-TECHNICS 2.0 (theatre), Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: Zagreb Youth Theater, Zagreb, Performance Arts Week Perforacije, Zagreb & Operacija: Grad, Zagreb
2011. SAMPLE (theatre, performance, dance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2012. 55+(theatre, video project), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2013. THE FUTURE IS NOW (theatre, participative project), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2014. THE UPRISING YOUTH (theatre, dance), MONTAЖ$TROJ, Zagreb; co-production: Zagreb Centre for independent culture and youth – Pogon, Zagreb, Artistic organization Counterattack, Zagreb
2014. LMWCL[4] (theatrical audio-visual performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2014. WHERE'S THE REVOLUTION, SCUM? (theatre, audio project, video project), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2023. Tour of the University Hospital in Zagreb. [5]
As of 2024, no more tours or performances are available.
 | This section needs to be updated. (December 2021) |
Crossover
[edit]1989. THE FOOTBALL BOOT IN THE ART GALLERY (action / performance)
1990. ACHTUNG ALARM (action / performance)
1991. CROATIA IN FLAME (video clip)
1991. HOP & RAS, DVA (installation / performance)
1991. ATLETA SRCA vs. BARBAROGENIJE (action)
1992. MONTAZSTROJ LIVE! (music performance / concert)
1995. NO DISTANCE (action / street performance)
2009. THE FOOTBALL BOOT IN THE MUSEUM (action / performance / project on location)
2010. ACHTUNG ALARM! 2.0 (action / performance / project on location)
2010. FIRESTARTER (action / performance / project on location)
2010. B.D.L.2.0 (action / performance / project on location)
2011. CROATIAN CREATION - MONTAZSTROJ CALLS FOR WITNESSES (media project / exhibition)
2013. COUNTERATTACK (video project / dance)
2014. CONSUMED (video project / media project)
2014. SWASTIKA (media project / audio project / video project)
2014. COMMUNISM (media project / audio project / video project)
2014. RABIES (media project / audio project / video project)
| This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Ends in 2014. (November 2024) |
References
[edit]- ^ "Account Suspended".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ "Croatian Neologism". montazstroj. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ "Borut Šeparović – Montažstroj". Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ^ Mačković, Vesna (March 14, 2014). "Little man wants to cross the line (MONTAЖ$TROJ)".
- ^ "CONTINUATION OF THE "TOUR" PROJECT – SIGN UP FOR FUTURE EVENTS!". November 30, 2023.