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"MINIMALISM IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK"

A long string of walkers is moving slowly through the landscape. Their start and end point is marked by a mysterious installation. The pilgrimage slowly gnaws at their solid sense of time and space. This is Walking, a participatory event by the world-famous director Robert Wilson and the Dutch theatre makers Boukje Schweigman and Theun Mosk.

How did you come into contact with Robert Wilson?
Theun Mosk: “Someone pointed out Wilson's work to me during my theatre design studies. I found his work fascinating. Wilson creates dreamlike, surreal events which are thought out and designed in detail. His aesthetics are sublime. I wrote my thesis about the way in which he uses the horizon in his work. During the research phase, I read about the Watermill Center, Wilson's laboratory for performance on Long Island. After my graduation, I participated in workshops at this Centre during the whole summer.”
Boukje Schweigman: “Wilson’s work can regularly be seen in the Netherlands. For years, Joop Mulder, director of the Dutch Oerol festival, had been trying to convince him to create a project for Oerol (Oerol is the largest site-specific theatre festival in the Netherlands. It is held annually on the island of Terschelling in the north of the Netherlands). In 2006, concrete agreements were made. Part of the project was a collaboration with young Dutch theatre makers. Since Theun had already worked with Robert Wilson in Watermill, he was approached. In turn, Theun involved me in the project. We have been working together intensively for years in the Netherlands. He is the designer of my projects, referred to as 'experience theatre' in the Netherlands.”

How did the idea for Walking arise?
TM: “In the spring of 2007, Robert Wilson went with us to view locations on Terschelling. After discussing some ideas back and forth, he presented the idea for a slow-paced walk that begins and ends with an installation. He drew a horizontal line with a peak downwards at the beginning, and a peak upwards at the end. He called it the ‘positive cone’ and the ‘negative cone’. This led to Walking.”
BS: “In the summer, we further developed the concept at the Watermill Center. This was a very special experience. Wilson annually creates several projects around the world. He prepares these projects during summertime with an iron discipline, and works daily about an hour on each project. Prior to every meeting, his assistants provide him with two freshly sharpened pencils, a clipboard with drawing paper and a jug of water with lemon. When Wilson comes in, he first takes two minutes of rest, during which he mentally ‘logs on’ to the project. He then draws a sketch in front of all employees, which he signs and then slides to the centre of the table: “What do you think about this?”. The sketch is then elaborated upon. During the rest of the day, we worked everything out together with his assistants.”

The theatre pieces of Robert Wilson are characterized by high precision. The same goes for Walking. Can you give an example?
BS: “Every single element is thought out, with endless attention to every single detail. How thick should the door be, what kind of willow branches do we use, and what kind of rubber? Minimalism is an incredible amount of work. Wilson’s knowledge of material is awesome and he does not settle for compromises.”
TM: “We recognise this precision from our own pieces. It is about the strength of the details. This is sometimes difficult for the technicians and the production team. The standards are particularly high.”
BS: “Theun and I mainly focused on welcoming the audience, the design of the installations, the walk itself, the pace as well as the sweeping scenery. Wilson gave us total freedom. He said: I am the chief architect, but you fill in the spaces.”

I assume that you also talked a lot about the substantive and philosophical background of the event.
BS: “No, Robert Wilson cannot be tempted to give an explanation. He finds that the work should speak for itself and that every visitor must be able to create his or her own story.”
TM: “We talked endlessly about materials, proportions and scenery, but never about meaning. Wilson has an unshakable faith in intuition. We both found that very inspiring. He never doubted his basic idea and the choices he made during its execution.”

The event has very complex logistics, can you say something about that?
BS: “It is essential for the experience that every walker walks at the right pace and at the right distance from the person in front of him or her. This is why we work with nearly fifty ‘hosts’ who welcome the visitors and show the right pace. These include young artists, dramatists and designers from England as well as some Dutch artists. During the last festival, they participated in workshops such as ‘how to create an experience for an audience’. They should provide the visitor with the feeling that the event is a special gift to them. It’s a funny paradox: in order to free the visitor from his ingrained sense of time and space, we have to maintain a rigid schedule behind the scenes, in which everything is thought out and documented to the minute.”

The event first took place on an island in the Netherlands. Now Walking will come to the English coast. How will this be different?
BS: “The substantive line of the event is largely determined by the landscape, which is very different in England. We therefore spent much time on plotting a new route.”
TM: “That means endless looking, listening and walking. What does the landscape tell us and how will we be able to pass on the most beautiful story? If you walk very slowly, you will be able to feel any change in the landscape. A forest will provide a completely different experience than an open field.”
BS: “It is extraordinary that we may bring the audience to places that are normally inaccessible. This is why Walking could not take place in May, during the festival. We would disturb nature too much in the breeding season.”
TM: “Another big difference is that we added an additional installation. We found that Walking earned a more powerful end, a real final chord. We are convinced that we found it. I am very curious how the British audience will react to Walking. As Robert Wilson says: it is theatre, but not as we know it.”