HARAKIRI

AT TROUBLEYN/LABORATORIUM, ANTWERP, BELGIUM

Language: Multiple Languages spoken | English surtitles
Duration: 1 hour 35 min, no interval (approx.)
 

Jan Fabre, the visionary visual artist and theater creator, teams up with his Troubleyn company of 11 brilliant actors and dancers to present HARAKIRI (A political and incorrect performance) - a daring new dance and theater creation. This bold performance is a tribute to the legendary French satirical magazine Hara Kiri (Journal bête et méchant),  a publication that revolutionized the world of humor and culture in the 1960s and ‘70s. The name Hara Kiri itself, which refers to the Japanese ritual suicide (harakiri), reflected the magazine’s willingness to embrace taboo topics and challenge social conventions.

As a young artist in the late '70s, Fabre was deeply influenced by Hara Kiri’s radical humor and subversive spirit. Known for its fearless attack on societal norms, Hara Kiri wasn’t just a magazine—it was a force of cultural rebellion, using humor to break taboos and confront the establishment head-on. Its audacious satire sparked controversy and created a space for free expression, all while boldly challenging politics, religion, and the social order of the time.

In HARAKIRI (A political and incorrect performance), Fabre reimagines this rebellious energy. The performance is an explosive mix of absurdity and sharp irony. A ‘razorblade’ performance, designed to simultaneously wound and amuse, it pushes the boundaries of performance art and provokes thought on the world we live in today. HARAKIRI (A political and incorrect performance) isn’t just a performance—it’s a surreal conspiracy against normality itself.