Electronic Music plus Striking Images
Pushing Human Senses to the Limits

Founded in 1985, Hotel Pro Forma from Denmark has been dedicated to the experiments and installations of trans-disciplinary arts, particularly known for its production of visual operas. In their works, the concept of texts is overthrown, and perception, perspective and themes from the world are blended into a conceptual, visual and musical art form. As of today, it has produced more than 50 works.

War Sum Up: Music. Manga. Machine, an avant-garde opera created by Hotel Pro Forma’s artistic director Kirsten Dehlholm, has won overwhelming acclamations after its Latvia premiere in 2012. The design of music, lyrics and visual effects is deeply influenced by the Japanese manga. Framed by the sounds of electronic music twelve singers on stage in warriors’ costumes recite ancient lyrics from Japanese Noh-theater, while the striking light design gives a powerful visual impression of the nature of war. War Sum Up tells of war through three main characters: the Soldier who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the Warrior who is killed in the battle and thus become a spectre, and the Spy who is transformed to a superwoman in order to survive. These three main characters in turn present a world of light and dark, battle and death. All three stories are framed by the mysterious woman in yellow—the Game-master who begins the war. From man to machine, to statue, ghost and fantasy heroine, along with surreal manga projected onto the stage, the performance brings to the audiences the glorification and abomination of the war’s brutal nature.