Traumatikon is a feast for the imagination, and offers a Kantor-like experience, akin to the Dadaist happenings at Café Voltaire, with aspects of Russian Constructavist theatre. The result of a master class conducted by Andrzej Welminski and Teresa Welminska, with Counter-Active. Created in collaboration with, visual artists and former members of the internationally acclaimed Cricot2. Traumatikon offers an encounter with charismatic icons of the past from Muhammad Ali to Neil Armstrong. Drifting between the distorted worlds of a circus and café, the performance is inspired by the works of influential artists such as Kahlo, Schlemmer and Picasso.

‘An extraordinary ensemble piece, full of Kantorian moments and gestures’ – Noel Witts, Kantor Memory

‘An unusual and unmissable visual arts experience which has given me hope that the spirit of true avant-gardism is still alive and well.’  Richard Demarco 2011

I must also make reference to another unusual and unmissable visual arts experience which has given me hope that the spirit of true avant-gardism is still alive and well.   It has resulted from a master class conducted by Andrzej and Teresa Welminski involving a group of over forty students at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.   They have produced an extra-ordinary example of a ‘total art work’.    It is a true celebration of the life and art of Tadeusz Kantor who was the 1976 winner of the Rembrandt Prize as a visual artist.   He was undoubtedly possessed of an unique genius bestriding the worlds of the visual and performing arts.

Each moment of the one and a half hour event which is entitled ‘Traumatikon’ provided the audience at Rose Bruford College with a Kantor-like experience in the form of what could be termed ‘sculpture in motion’ and which calls to mind aspects of Russian Constructivist theatre, the Dadaist happenings at the Café Voltaire, the performance art of Kurt Schwitters, as well as the art of those Polish artists who inspired Kantor – such as Stanislaw Witkiewicz, Bruno Schulz, Stanislaw Wyspianski, and Witold Gombrowicz.

Andrzej and Teresa are two veterans of Kantor’s Cricot 2 Theatre company.   The Edinburgh Festival is in need of them and their capacity to defend the truth embodied in Kantor’s art.

Richard Demarco,2011

Traumatikon trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqwJLSznVAo