Costumes & Characters
“What wonderfully strange collection of creatures! It is as if I have awakened in the middle of a dream. They speak a strange language. Some kind of code. Gibberish. Gobbledygook. Must investigate further…” — The Seeker
A fitting tribute to the power of the human imagination, the costumes of KURIOS –
Cabinet of Curiosities are the result of a visual exploration of the beginnings of
science, of the discoveries and inventions that led to the industrial revolution of
the 19th Century – from the steam locomotive to electrical power to electromagnetic
waves. They embody and celebrate the advancements of science, but in an imaginary,
parallel world.While the visual references may seem self-evident, the show’s curious
yet familiar characters and costumes transport the audience to a time suspended
somewhere between past and future, in an alternate reality, as if science had evolved
without the internal combustion engine and as if the golden age of the steam engine
had continued on, uninterrupted.
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The costumes of KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities are the result of unusual blends
and odd associations: e.g. the attire of the Seeker’s Assistants (the Kurios) – oddball
half-human, half-mechanical characters built from scraps and recycled parts by their
ingenuous and ingenious creator. Costume Designer Philippe Guillotel explored unusual
shapes that have affinities with the costumes of the Bauhaus or of Alfred Jarry’s Father
Ubu to create startling and often amusing characters (a.k.a “The Visitors”).
The Seeker
Master of the house, the Seeker is a humanist and an optimist as ingenuous as he is ingenious.
With his childlike innocence, he believes in an invisible world where the craziest ideas
too audacious to be shared and the grandest dreams too radical to be realized lie waiting -
a place for utopian ideals, pipe-dreams, and other pie-in-the-sky ideas too forward-looking
for their time. He is determined to access this world of wonders, but it's only available to those
who trust their intuition and imagination.
The Kurios
Since there is so much work to be done before his dream becomes
reality, the Seeker surrounds himself with a brigade of assistants including
the Winch kurios and Plunger (a.k.a. Suction Cup) kurios. These quirky robots were built
from scraps and recycled parts by the Seeker himself. These imperfect,
dysfunctional creatures have the distinct smell of metal, leather and the
unbridled imagination of their creator.
The Curiosistanians
They are the inhabitants of an imaginary country called Curiosistan and they turn
up in the Seeker’s world in order to ignite his imagination.
The Mentalist
The Mentalist personifies the great illusionists who reigned like rock
stars during the golden age of illusion. Knowing is seeing... be careful!
He can read your thoughts!
Mr. Microcosmos
The “bigger is better” ethos that drives the retro-futuristic
aesthetic of the show is on the opposite side of the spectrum of the
miniaturization that characterizes the electronic era. A case in point
is the costume of the pot-bellied Mr. Microcosmos. “He’s like a
mechanical Obelix [from the cartoon characters Asterix & Obelix], but
instead of holding a tiny dog in his arms, he lugs around a small lady
in his belly wherever he goes, and he’s hardly aware of it,” says Guillotel. He
is the leader, the authority figure of the group. This powerhouse of a
man is the embodiment of technological proress; his sturdy world conjurs
up visions of steam trains, massive structures, the Eiffel Tower, and the
Grand Palais.
Mini Lili
Mr. Microcosmos carries Mini Lili, his intuitive counterpart, inside his
costume using a sling not unlike a baby carrier. Antanina Satsura, the artist
who plays Mini Lili, is one-meter tall and weighs 18 kg. She lives inside her
host’s overcoat. Through the door in Mr. Microcosmos’ belly, we can see the
furnished interior of Mini Lili’s quarters, which include an armchair, a chandelier
as well as other essentials of a Victorian home. She is the embodiment of
elegance and refinement. She represents Microcomos' unconscious mind, his
intuitive self, as well as his fragile and poetic side.
Nico, the Accordian Man
He is called NICO, short of Nick ‘o Time, as he always appears
confused or late and out of place. Is he a man, or an accordion? He’s
curious, clumsy, a little bashful and extremely sensitive, but endearing.
What’s the big picture here? Nico’s
accordion costume allows him to bend way down or stand way up so he
can be at eye level with absolutely everyone. His pants are folded like
a piece of origami from an unwoven textile (like the material normally
used in shoe lining) and are inspired by the darkrooms that were part
of early cameras. Although he is a tad awkward, this level-headed feller
always rises to the occasion.
Klara, the Telegraph
She is called Klara, as in clear reception. She’s half-woman,
half-antenna, and appears to have built-in radar – perhaps to receive
messages from other worlds, life systems? A transmitter of the invisible.
Her shoes make odd Morse code-like sounds… are these messages from the
other side? Klara wears an antenna skirt made of hula-hoop-type rings.
By swiveling round and pointing her apparatus in various directions,
she can receive invisible electromagnetic waves. Her hoop skirt is inspired
by Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and is shaped like early parabolic antennas.
The print on her leotard evokes electrical circuits and connections. She
symbolizes our obsession with telecommunications during the golden age
of the railroad when the telegraph and the gramophone were invented.
GZZZZT, VWOOOT, BLEEEP! She can read you loud and clear!
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