Mauricio Ferlin, Matija Ferlin and Saša Fistrić received the Ksenija Hribar Award for the overall visual image of the performance Sad Sam Matthäus (set design, costume design and lighting design), awarded by The Contemporary Dance Association Slovenia. The performance, directed, choreographed and performed by Matija Ferlin, is, according to the expert jury, undoubtedly an excess from the point of view of a complete work of art. It works superbly on almost all levels - from conceptual, dramaturgical and performance to aesthetic-visual.

Explanation of the expert jury (Dragana Alfirević, Teja Reba, Nataša Živković):

Sad Sam Matthäus, directed, choreographed and performed by Matija Ferlin, is undoubtedly exceptional in terms of total work of art – Gesamtkunstwerk – and something rarely seen in contemporary dance. The performance functions superbly on almost in every way – on the levels of concept, dramaturgy and implementation, as well as aesthetically and visually. It should be noted here that the visual stage identity of the performance is not merely an aesthetic aspect that is an end in itself, but works in close synergy with the substance of the performance; it is the matter that makes spirit visible.
It was the synergy of the now long-standing cooperation between set designer, costume designer and lighting designer that produced an excellent result and convinced the jury to award a joint prize for this collective achievement. Mauricio Ferlin created a scenography that is only seemingly megalomaniac – it is basically a kind of museum or archive, in which Mauricio and Matija Ferlin use recycling materiality to bring into view both personal and performative memory, using parts of scenography from previous performances. Saša Fistrić managed to subtly shape the light, which oscillates between the more intimate and obscured atmosphere of the artist’s workshop in the first part, through the open and “working” light in the transition, to the skilful nuances and creation of atmospheres in the second part. This time, Matija Ferlin’s costume design in the performance is not expressive, colourful or rich as in some of his previous works. In Matthäus, the costume design itself is minimalistic, in dark, black tones, but the transformation that takes place between the two parts of the play is stunning. Before our eyes, using his performative, acting and physical abilities, Matija Ferlin completely and convincingly transforms into the character – which is also made possible by the correct and well-thought-out costume design that enables the transformation.
25. 2. 2023, The Contemporary Dance Association Slovenia, Ksenija Hribar Award for the overall visual image of the performance Sad Sam Matthäus (scenography, costume design and lighting design) - Mauricio Ferlin, Matija Ferlin, Saša Fistrić

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