On 02-04 December 2016 in the framework of the book fair “non/fiction” in Russia took place the international literary festival of a new type called Post-Babel Condition”. The event was supported by the Swiss Council for culture “Pro Helvetia”, the French Institute, British Counsil, Goethe Institute, Cervantes Institute, the Greek cultural center, etc.
The festival slam style is relatively new for us. The format already exists in Europe and called Spokenword. You can come to such event if You are open to any new forms of modern searches, including topics indecent for discussion, or if You like certain poets of the list.
Slam-poetry is a new direction of culture, originated in the USA in the 1980s. It is a poetry reading by poets within the allotted time, often coupled with outrageous verses and recitation. It suggests a new form of the presentation of poems in public, or even a new kind of “living” poetry (spoken word).
At the site of the Electrotheatre Stanislavsky we see the poets of Russia, USA, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Colombia and other countries, more traditional and absolutely non-traditional: Ruben Dario Flores, Olga Sedakova, Ursula Rucker, the Pilot Le Hot, Ann Cotten, Andrey Rodionov, Herman Lukomnikov, Lev Rubinstein and others. As said Ruben Dario Flores , “it is the joy of communication based on the beautiful images of poetry.”
However, the communication of these poets is not happens for the first time, they have long been familiar with each other. G. Lukovnikov, for example, has already taken part in the world slam in Paris. So, even though Russia has not yet had to be a place of such International festivals, Russian officials have become participants to them.
Each poet reads his works in his native language in his characteristic manner, with a more or less active gestures and sounds. Translation is reflected on the wall behind the speaker. This is more than recitation, it is a performance. One-man show takes about half an hour.
In essence, as explained one of the organizers of the Festival Ksenia Golubovich, it is a tribute to multiculturalism reflecting the “postbalance state.” In her mind, Babylon once United the Nations, but then they broke up again into different groups and now require new associations. Also it is “a search form for the public of the existence of poetry, – said Ksenia Golubovich, Why the living word? The poet feels like a living organism. All event happening within his body. The living word to the audience produces a particularly strong impression.”
To be continued… In the next 2017 Post-Babel will be repeated in Russia. The organizers are serious.
Source: Rsl.ru
