Songs of Chaos

A new collaborative project between choreographer Roza Moshtaghi and multimedia artist and visual artist Lykourgos Porfyris, resulting in a new and relevant dance work that questions the landscape and ownership of land.

‘Songs of Chaos’ draws on one of Bertolt Brecht’s most famous plays, “The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” which tells the story of a peasant girl who rescues an infant and raises him as her own. After the war, the boy’s biological mother wants her son back. The question is: who has the legal rights to the child?

The Iranian-Norwegian choreographer Roza Moshtaghi, together with multimedia artist Lykourgos Porfyris, has been inspired by Brecht’s perspective and has together created a new and relevant dance piece that questions the landscape and ownership of land.

Moshtaghi continues to explore the human desire to adapt to systems and structures in society. The ordinary, or rather what we have forced into the ordinary, is the choreographer’s playing field.

‘Songs of Chaos’ consists of five songs, a performance in the theater space, and an installation animated through performative action in public space. ‘Songs of Chaos’ goes far in its exploration of breaking with the audience’s expectations, including the blind wise man (Porfyris) serving as the piece’s narrator and guide. The choreographic material is created in close collaboration with Porfyris’ vision, who was born with 10% sight.

“I sit in front of the TV, trying to imagine what a landscape looks like. Why is it so fascinating for people to look at nature or the city from the top of a mountain or building? Is it because of the horizon, or is it because the person feels superior to nature and/or other people? Who has access to all kinds of landscapes? Who has the time and resources to observe things from a higher position?”

These are among the questions ‘Songs of Chaos’ seeks to answer. The result is a highly relevant dance piece that creates new mythologies and interpretations of common stories.

About the artists:

Roza Moshtaghi

Roza Moshtaghi is an Iranian artist who lives and works in Oslo. Her creations are often situated within the performing arts field as a choreographer/dancer and performer. She holds a master’s degree in choreography from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.  She presents her work internationally and continues developing projects with other artists as a collaborator and performer. Her latest projects include BUD – commissioned by the Norwegian National Company for Contemporary Dance (2022), kinShips (2021), LIMBO (2021), HOOP (2020), Bouncing Narratives (2019), and Only Forever (2018).

Lykourgos Porfyris

Lykourgos Porfyris is a Greek visual artist living and working between Oslo and Athens. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Athens School of Fine Arts and a master’s degree from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Lykourgos’ practice is engaged with the production of new mythologies and legends. In his recent works he is exploring his albino identity and disability (impaired vision). More specifically, he is interested in how disability is represented in occidental history and contemporary pop culture. In 2022, he was highlighted by Natt & Dag as one of Norway’s most exciting artists.