Lapis Lazuli | Euripides Laskaridis // OSMOSIS

[…] The work is for all those who acknowledge how emotionally moving the funny side of life is, those who do not search for messages and teachings, and those who do not take themselves seriously.

[…] My starting point is different each time and announces itself unexpectedly. From the moment the first idea or a character is conceived, it usually takes two years to complete each work. In “Lapis Lazuli,” the main character “paid me a visit” for the first time in a dream in February 2022, when I was in Liege. Since then, I have been after the world this character inhabits.

[…] In most of my works, I avoid using speech, mainly to allow meaning to roam free. Therefore, a certain kind of indecipherable speech often infiltrates the work, together with other elements such as light, objects, music, the movement of bodies, objects, lights, and even sounds.

[…] “Lapis Lazuli” feels like completing something that stays in dialogue with all my previous work. At the same time, I feel like something new emerges here, but it automatically becomes obscure when I am called upon to talk about it. So, I pretend I am not seeing it.

[…] We expect to be surprised by the ending ourselves.

Euripides Laskaridis

• The collaboration between Euripides Laskaridis and the Onassis Foundation began in April 2019, when "RELIC" took part in the Foundation's "Democracy is Coming" festival in New York.
• Euripides Laskaridis' collaboration with Onassis Stegi began in November 2019 with the presentation of "ELENIT," his first large-scale international co-production. Along with his other two creations, "RELIC" and "TITANS," the show is still touring major theatres and festivals.
• Work on "Lapis Lazuli" began with the support of Onassis AiR, which gave Euripides Laskaridis and his collaborators the opportunity to develop some preliminary ideas for the costumes and sets for the new show, as well as conduct field research in Japan. According to Euripides, this trip proved to be "revelatory," because he encountered a culture that is closely connected to the new universe he is creating. It was also where he was first exposed to Kabuki theatre, a genre he is very interested in.
• The Latin word lapis means stone. The word lazuli (genitive of lazulum) comes from the Persian lājward, which denotes a shade of blue. Lapis lazuli, or blue stone, is a semi-precious opaque rock made up primarily of lazurite. It is mentioned in Babylonian and Egyptian mythology, as well as in biblical texts. Legend has it that Ra, the king of the Egyptian gods, wore on his head a piece of lapis lazuli in the shape of an eye, the so-called “eye of heaven.” Lazurite is thought to have been introduced to Europe by the armies of Alexander the Great. The Romans attributed healing properties to the stone and used it in the form of powder.
• This is Euripides Laskaridis's second performance to be named after a material; the first was "ELENIT." He admits that this is due to his fascination with objects and matter in general. Perhaps, as he claims, it stems from his childhood desire to study architecture, which he pursued to some extent and is still interested in as an adult.
• A major tour is scheduled to follow the world premiere of "Lapis Lazuli" at Onassis Stegi. The first stop will be the Teatros del Canal in Madrid, set to be followed by, among others, Plovdiv in Bulgaria, where the show will be presented to members of the Big Pulse Network, Julidans in Amsterdam, Torinodanza in Turin, Aperto in Reggio Emilia, the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, the Teatro de Liège in Belgium, and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.
• The grotesque and hyperbolic seem to define the characters in Euripides Laskaridis' plays. He believes that it is a good way to explore existential issues, "indirectly, through the back door."
• The central character of each work serves as a guide from which he can draw inspiration and as the starting point of his creative process. It is an axis that largely determines the course of the performance, but only "in a subconscious way, never explicitly," as he points out.
• Laskaridis also conducts workshops at various organizations and drama schools throughout Europe in addition to his international artistic journey. The opportunity to meet artists whose work he admires, like Meg Stuart and Steven Cohen, at CND Pantin's "Camping" in Paris was a recent highlight for him. "This encounter was very important because, aside from the fact that meeting new generations of dancers is rejuvenating, one tries to find one's own personal voice," he says.
• Euripides was awarded an inaugural Pina Bausch Fellowship in 2016, which allowed him to spend time with Samoan choreographer and director Lemi Ponifasio (who has performed at Onassis Stegi in 2012 and 2014). As Ponifasio created his works in collaboration with people from the indigenous communities of the Maori (New Zealand) and Mapuche (Chile), Laskaridis followed the renowned choreographer to Vienna, Paris, New Zealand, Chile, and Easter Island as part of the fellowship. He recalls this as one of the most important experiences he had while abroad. "For a while, I was able to leave behind my Western self, who seeks clear answers, and become a little more receptive to what is left unsaid. I sensed an elusive connection between spirituality and performance, one which I am still trying to grasp. Lemi said two things that I believe will stick with me for the rest of my life. "Words are a poor communicator" and "You in the West ask a stupid question: To be or not to be? But, of course, there is only one answer: to be AND not to be."