The Mattress

Performance, Six D.O.G.S., Athens 2012, Cuore di Grecia Festival 2012, Bologna, Dimitria Festival 2012, Thessaloniki, Dance Days 3, Chania 2013, Chytirio Theatre, Athens 2014, NOHMA Theatre, Milan 2018, Premio Internazionale Theatro Nudo di Teresa Pomodoro (competition), Amalgama Space 2018.

The history of modern Greece, from 1827—the year the Greek State was founded—to the present day, constitutes both the point of departure and a rich source of inspiration for the work of the Amalgama dance company. A man and a sleeping mattress attempt to express the relationship between human beings and the country in which they live (whether they were born there or not), a country they produce and also destroy. References to characteristic elements of the disturbed nature of modern Greek history, along with essential influences drawn from the overall rhythm and structure that have marked the last two centuries, lend a sense of “Greekness” to the individual’s actions and to the relationships that develop with the object—the mattress. The dominant image of a popular body, at times innocent and at times corrupt, evolves, transforms, and repeats itself, interrupted by moments that refer to central political figures, ultimately arriving at a lethargic popular body. Using movement, object, sound, speech, and video as its tools, the work of the Amalgama group seeks to illuminate a familiar place, proposing a stance of reflection and critical contemplation. Concept / Choreography / Direction / Set Design: Maria Gorgia, Performer: Stavros Apostolatos, Video: Vana Kostagiola, Maria Gorgia, Periklis Mathiellis, Set & Costumes: Maria Gorgia, Stavros Apostolatos, Assistant Choreographer: Stella Atzemi, Production: Amalgama Dance Company. Photography: Vana Kostagiola, Angeliki Svoronou.