Things That Can Survive in Space is a performance for two audiences. A present audience and a hypothetical one. The project originates from NASA’s Voyager mission (1977): an attempt to create intergalactic “bottle mail”. On board the two space probes sent by NASA to study the space beyond our solar system were placed two golden LPs. The discs contain a collection of greetings in different languages, music, nature sounds and photographs. An attempt to encapsulate various expressions of our earthly existence, in case someone should come into contact with the probes on their journey through space.

“When we heard about this mission, we were struck by how absurd it all felt. At the same time, a curiosity was awakened about what it means to create in relation to the unknown.”

“In this, our first own work, we choreograph with the intention of exposing ourselves to the cosmos. We try to answer the questions:
What would we create if we knew the message had a chance to come into contact with another life form?
Is there a line between fiction and reality when targeting beings that have no previous experience of our human context?

Together with composer Markus B. Almqvist and lighting designer/set designer Elias Ortiz, we want to invite the audience to a stage room that has been temporarily rebuilt into a kind of hybrid between a laboratory and a recording studio. The performance is an experiment, an attempt to send dances to an undetermined address somewhere out in the universe.!

Anika Edström Kawaji and Robin Haghi

Anika Edström Kawaji and Robin Haghi are dancers, performers and makers based between Stockholm and Brussels. They studied at P.A.R.T.S. (2013 – 2016, Brussels) and worked together as performers for Rosas/Anne Teresa de Keersmaerker (BE) where they took part in several productions between 2016 – 2021.

They have individually collaborated with Salva Sanchis (SP), Louis Nam Le Van Ho (FR), Fieldworks (NO/JP), Francesco Scavetta/Wee (IT/NO), Robin Jonsson (SE) and others.

Markus B. Almqvist

Composer from Sweden, with a background in Hip Hop, electronic and contemporary art music. Since 2011, Markus has written music for stage productions and films in Sweden and abroad. He has studied at Gotland School of Music Composition and is currently studying composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

Elias Ortiz

Elias Ortiz works on many fronts in the stage industry. With various music educations behind him, he is active as a freelance drummer, studio musician, songwriter and music producer and also co-directs the music studio – Studio Lur. In 2020, Elias trained as a Theater, Event & Stage Technician at Frans Schartau’s Business Institute and has since worked as a lighting designer, sound and lighting technician and technical coordinator in several stage and TV productions.