Nightwater: performance-installatie
Nightwater premiered in Amsterdam on 12, 13, 14 September. A large-scale performance installation unfolding as a rural dream inside an urban venue, throughout the building of the Muziekgebouw.
What happens when you reimagine a folk three-day Greek rural festival in the modern surroundings of an Amsterdam concert hall? This is what Nightwater explored, the site-specific production artist, composer and director Thanasis Deligiannis created exclusively for the Muziekgebouw. With a mix of field recordings, megaphones, diverse speakers, video projections, plastic chairs, the building was transformed into a dazzling installation. From the moment the audience stepped inside, they were free to stay as long as they liked and chart their own unique course, wandering freely, revisiting spaces, and uncovering something new each time.Continuing the long-term artistic research on the Greek rural culture — following hybrid works such as ENA ENA and the collective interdisciplinary installation Xirómero/Dryland for the Greek Pavilion at Venice Biennale — Thanasis was invited by the Muziekgebouw to compose, direct, shape and feel free to create a rather different experience. Nightwater draws from the themes of an artistic research co-directed with Yannis Michalopoulos, while also opening space for new questions about the building of the Muziekgebouw itself and the relationship with its visitors, celebrating its 20th anniversary in season 2025-26They teamed up with Ensemble Klang, The Rest Is Noise and Greek folk musicians, to create a 3-day-long evolving event. During the performance installation, audience could enter in groups every half an hour.DAY 1+2– Nightwater X Ensemble Klang – Performance installation (evening)DAY 2 – Nightwater X The Rest Is Noise (late night)DAY 3 – Nightwater X At The Public Square (daytime)
Creative TeamThanasis Deligiannis – concept, direction, composition, sound design & cinematographyYannis Michalopoulos – concept, dramaturgy & researchKostas Chaikalis – sound engineer & assistant sound designerElia Kalogianni – artistic collaborator on cinematography & installationYorgos Kyvernitis – cinematographyPerformersNatasa Tsakiridou – singerLina Alatzidou – singerAlexandros Papageorgopoulos – clarinetistEnsemble KlangSaskia Lankhoorn – keyboardistPeter Harden – electric guitaristJoey Marijs – percussionistThe Rest Is Noise X Nightwater program featured DJs Deena Abdelwahed & Zohar.I/O Production & Technical TeamFrank van der Weij – project managerRania Mavriki – production managerGerco van Veenen – technical directorYan Kelleghan, Ivet Serra, Dimitra Sofroniou, Anastasia Papastefanou – (artistic & production) interns
