Bread and Puppet Theater puppets are exhibited in santralistanbul Campus
Date: October 12–November 6, 2022
Place: santralistanbul Campus
The puppets that were used in the world-renowned protest puppet theater Bread and Puppet Theater’s performance that they delivered as part of 17th Istanbul Biennial meet the audience in the exhibition titled ‘Demons of Our Society - A Bread and Puppet Theater Puppets Exhibition’ in Energy Museum. The company delivered their first performance in İstanbul as part of 17th Istanbul Biennial organized by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) on santralistanbul Campus on September 14, 2022 in collaboration with BİLGİ Management of Performing Arts Program.
The puppets that were used in Bread and Puppet Theater’s performance were made during the workshop sessions that took place in the dance studios of BİLGİ Management of Performing Arts Program for three weeks. As a result of the open call, 65 volunteers attended the workshops and they prepared the puppets by upcycling the waste materials gathered from the campus and worked on choreography and the design of the stages.
The performance began with a parade, was delivered in Kıyı Amfi, and ended with the bread offering ritual of the company marking their every performance. As part of the performance, a part of the renowned Karagoz artist Cengiz Özek’s shadow theatre play titled Çöp Canavarı [Garbage Monster] also met with the audience. The other performances of the company in İstanbul took place in Küçükçekmece Gölbaşı and Müze Gazhane.
Founded in New York in 1963 by Peter Schumann and continuing its performances in Vermont, the Bread and Puppet Theater is known for its majestic puppets made from papier-mâché and cardboard and with its flamboyant performances. One of the oldest non-profit political theaters of the U.S., the company also stands out with their participation to anti-war demonstrations since 1960s.
The exhibition consisting of the giant puppets that come together with the historic fabric of Energy Museum will continue to accept visitors until November 6, 2022.