Philippe Quesne Le Jardin des délices

[Theatre]

At the frontier between medieval bestiary, ecological science-fiction and contemporary western, Le Jardin des délices is a retro-futuristic saga of worlds to come. Philippe Quesne's piece is a based loosely on Jérôme Bosch's famous trilogy, best known for its fantastical allegories that navigate a path between Hell and Paradise.

In this new piece, which marks the twenty years of existence of his company Vivarium Studio, Philippe Quesne puts together a multi-disciplinary team of performers and technicians, ready to undertake a journey in time bringing us up to the present day. Setting foot in a place that they seem to be discovering for the first time and which might be abandoned or part of a society which has ground to a halt, the protagonists organise it in their own way, borrowing whatever they find on the spot and in the venues' available memory, from theatre, each other and others. The enigmatic chimaera of the XVth century painter are a testimony to the radical overturning of traditional reference points, techniques and policies during an era in transition. In his own way, Philippe Quesne pursues his patient exploration of worlds on the fringes of our own, at a time when, yesterday as in today's world, fantasy and utopia disturb the relationship between nature and culture and formulate a playful response to the threats we currently face.