Photo Julia van der Westhuyzen Tekst Julia van der Westhuyzen
The old Wageningen Spar (now De Superette) is completely transformed. Where there were once isles of grocery shoppers filling their baskets, there are now wire rods tied from wall-to-wall, drums hanging from the ceiling and a small dining room table – set for two. The whole space has turned into a “long-string instrument” says Remco de Kluizenaar, a Sound Artist and former WUR student.
This long-string instrument is one of the many “sound machines” central to his latest performance on Intention – Behaviour Gap. This concept is linked to his previous work at WUR where he created a campus audio tour on the topic of protein transition. Whilst the audio tour was more of a documentary and only in Dutch, this performance will be for ‘international and Dutch WUR people to have fun,’ De Kluizenaar states.
Good intentions
A conversation Remco had with Marleen Onwezen, a consumer psychologist at WUR, got him thinking about why people who have the intention to make healthier purchases for their body and the planet, don’t act out these intentions in the supermarket.
‘These kinds of topics can strike you really deep on an emotional level but addressing them in an art piece can make it a bit lighter’, says De Kluizenaar. ‘This show will be a kind-of mockery about our own behaviour to encourage consumers to take a critical look at themselves.’ Viewers can expect powerful imagery and soundscapes addressing issues like climate change but within the context of our everyday lives.
Duet at the customer service desk
Performing alongside Remco will be soprano singer, Tineke Roseboom. ‘He just asked me to join and I thought – this is awesome!’ The show will contain new compositions and improvisations. Both are really excited about a scene in the supermarket’s old information desk where they will perform a love song like a duet…with a twist. “It is the best piece, I think, of the whole performance”, says Tineke. Remco hopes that with the addition of comedic elements, serious topics will become more accessible to the audience.
Not only will audience members be entertained, after every performance a small talk and discussion will be hosted by various members of WUR covering a range of interesting and relevant topics from marketing and consumer behaviour to animal production systems.
Remco de Kluizenaar & Tineke Roseboom
Absurdist Music Theatre on buying behaviour and flexitarians
18 and 19 March at 20:30 hr, 20 March 15:00 and 20:30h in De Superette
Geertjesweg 56 Wageningen
Fee: At your discretion
