SAAL Biennaal 2023 | Netti Nüganen "The Myth: last day"

Rumour has it that over centuries the layers underneath the ground have preserved friction energy from sociologic changes and collective reconfigurations. The crust of the earth has stored geological activities, memories and marches, generating magnetic heat and making it possible in ideal circumstances to defeat the decomposition of flesh.

How long has she been there, defying decomposition, nobody knows. The layers are getting thicker as she crawls and crawls and crawls and crawls. Up, towards the sunlight that pierces through the open cracks and her lengthy fingernails are clawing through the soil. She is boiling, roasting, red-hot fuming. The cold, fresh air too unbearable to be inhaled, the light too bright to be absorbed—so she vents. Completely chaotic, headless, spineless. She needs a form - any distinct style - to clasp onto. So she could tend to some temporary business - and then be gone again, forever.

Netti Nüganen is a performance artist and musician working between Tallinn and Amsterdam. She has been busy with theatre, music, dance, circus and sports and has graduated from SNDO, choreography department. Her influences from such a variety of subjects make her treat everything that is known with careful deconstruction and everything unknown with vigilant attention. In her works she creates characters like weightlifter, teenage vlogger, detective, historian, cowboy and more. Building narratives while deconstructing them is one of her methods to investigate the gaps between recognisable references and signs. Her video and stage works have been shown in My Wild Flag festival, Batard Festival, Tartu Art Museum, KIM? gallery, Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Uferstudios, Lisbon Film Festival, My Wild Flag Festival and more.

Director, performer: Netti Nüganen
Uma: Johhan Rosenberg
Stage design, costumes: Pire Sova
Dramaturgy: Sabine Cmelniski
Sound design: Artjom Astrov
Light design: Priidu Adlas
Text advice: Keiu Krikmann
Graphic design: Yunie Chae
Photos: Alana Proosa
Project management: Siim Tõniste, Eneli Järs
Co-production: Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Netti Nüganen
Supported by Eesti Kultuurkapital
Thanks: Johhan Rosenberg, Anna Viik, Henry Kasch, Tuuri Viik, Kristiina Tang, Anne Reemann, Tiia Rosenberg, Ando Naulainen, Heneliis Notton, Ahmed El Gendy, Tea Teearu, Laura van Bergem

Premiere: 14.05.22, Kanuti Gildi SAAL

Duration: 90'
In English