Commission to Simon Steen-Andersen

UR! is a 60–80 minute stage and video solo performance by composer and director Simon Steen-Andersen and Ictus performer Michael Schmid. Together, they take up the fundamental concepts of Kurt Schwitters’ Ursonate, the first great phonetic poem of the Dadaist era. The German prefix UR refers to the idea of primitivism and primordial sound. Abstraction, repetition, and the collapse of meaning and disciplines are combined with material from biography, history, media fragments, subconscious memories, pop culture, and the failures of Large Language Models when confronted with Dada.

Video is an active part of the performance rather than a backdrop. The performance takes place around a split video screen that Schmid can move through. The project connects Schwitters’ use of collage and found material with Steen-Andersen’s interest in remixing and reworking existing material.

The commission to Simon Steen-Andersen is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
ictus.be

Dates

October 17, 2026
Donaueschinger Musiktage

October 25, 2026
Festival 20·21, Leuven

November 5 & 6, 2026
Festival d’Automne, Paris