Full recording of Linda Boļšakova’s performance “Rehearsing Murky Bogland Futures”
At the 2025 International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus, artist Linda Boļšakova premiered her participatory audio performance “Rehearsing Murky Bogland Futures”, created as part of the EU Creative Europe supported project “The Big Green.”
The work was developed during The Big Green residency at Ķemeri National Park, where Linda continues her long-term research into the relationship between human and more-than-human. Now in its second year, the artist expands on her ongoing trilogy exploring the bog as a living, mutable being. In collaboration with Icelandic choreographer Rósa Ómarsdóttir, this new chapter invites audiences to journey into a speculative future where the bog seeps into the city, into the human body, and into time itself — transforming perception and the senses.
“Rehearsing Murky Bogland Futures” calls for a step away from extractivist logic and an encounter with the bog as an autonomous being with its own agency and voice. The soundscape, created by Ernst Lima, immerses listeners in the vibrant frequencies of the future — in the rhythms through which the bog breathes, pulses, and takes form within us. Through poetic text and movement dramaturgy, the work envisions a world where humans and nature exist as equal participants in a shared ecological rhythm.
Photo: Aivars Ivbulis
Throughout the creative process, Linda collaborated with environmental researchers and scientists to deepen her understanding of the bog ecosystems and their delicate balance. Special thanks to Agnese Balandiņa for her invaluable support and insight during the development of the work.
The performance took place at the Cultural Centre “Smilga” in Rīga, offering visitors an intimate, individual listening experience within a misty, sound-immersed environment.
Watch the full recording here:
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This is the second work in the trilogy series by Linda Boļšakova, developed as part of The Big Green residency at Ķemeri National Park,within the EU Creative Europe project. Work is supported by the Society Integration Foundation from the Latvian state budget allocated by the Ministry of Culture and co-financing from the Ministry of Culture of Latvia. Special acknowledgement to Pierīga Regional Administration of the Nature Conservation Agency, Agnese Balandiņa and Mārtiņš Starts.
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