The Song from the Grave [Stabat Mater]
ONE MAN OPERA
Branko Milisković – Biography
Branko Milisković (born in 1982, Belgrade) studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, graduated from the Royal Academy of Art and Design in The Hague, and obtained his MFA from Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg. His works have been performed and exhibited internationally at venues such as Reims Scenes d’Europe, CSW/CoCA in Torun, G12 HUB, Bioskop Balkan, 57th October Salon, and Dom Omladine in Belgrade, as well as Kampnagel in Hamburg, Les Halles in Brussels, TENT Rotterdam, Utrecht Film Festival, CIRCA art actuel in Montreal, LADA in London, and YFV Seattle (WA), among many other stages across Europe, Israel, Russia, and the USA.
Performance: “The Song from the Grave [STABAT MATER]”
Duration: 2 hours
Branko Milisković creates works that combine the experiences and forms of cabaret, opera, theater, photography, architecture, film, and virtual reality. He employs historical quotes, often political, to explore both collective and universal memory. Through carefully constructed and profiled bodies, Milisković introduces us to both familiar and forgotten emotions. The Song from the Grave [STABAT MATER] is a sharp and moving, durational mono oratorio that deals with anticipation and the agony of waiting for a loved one to return. It references the half-hour opera ERWARTUNG (Expectation) by Arnold Schoenberg.
Stabat Mater, a medieval hymn depicting Mary mourning the crucified Christ, is taken in this performance as a starting point to shape a new, contemporary reality. In this reality, the figures of the mother and father merge into a highly stylized, androgynous construct—a body that mourns the suffering of humanity as a worldview.
Performance Credits:
- Performer: Branko Milisković
- Costume Design: Olivera Lekić
- Makeup: Brana Kostić
- Hair Styling: Danilo Mataruga
- Sound: Branko Milisković