Children of Zeus
“Mythical whispers of the inner wounded.”
What You See Festival - Karin Jonkers
Children of Zeus is a living exhibition and an intuitive journey. This living exhibition questions our relationship with nature, the body, and spirituality within today's technological lifestyle.
Two queer Children are discovering the healing power of water within a mythical swamp. Here, they manifest their freedom, free from the oppressive patriarchal powers of Zeus. Old paradigms fade, but not without obstacles. Through their transformative powers, the children will create a fluid world in which they attempt to restore the balance between humanity and nature. The knowledge of their ancestors is found here in breath and rhythm, and is discovered through the body, water, and installation. The friction between forgotten histories and the rise of technological humanity forms a key starting point of their journey into this mythical swamp.
Dancemaker Robbeduz (them/their) and visual artist Valentina Gal (she/her) jointly create an installation consisting of water and sculptures. The collaboration arose from a shared fascination with water, which serves as a metaphor for fluidity and healing powers. Based on this installation, they explore how a sustainable relationship with nature can be created, which includes using natural materials and recycling. Children of Zeus builds on the makers' previous works, Cyborg DNA (Robbeduz & Lux Nautilus, 2023) and Troubled Waters (Gal, 2024). Objects from these earlier works are sustainably rediscovered within this research, aiming for a tangible transmission and contemporary translation of queer ecology.
Queer ecology offers an alternative framework centered on non-binary fluidity. The lived embodiment of queer ecology provides a lens through which this artistic team shares liberation movements in various ways. Seeking liberation from Western patterns and oppression, maker and performer Robbeduz, explores their Thai heritage more deeply and connects this to the creative process for both installation and performance. In Thailand and Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes purity and spiritual awakening. This journey embodies all the emotional aspects encountered during such a profound transformation: from mud to the beauty of the lotus.
“Listen to the forgotten melodies.
Rebellious children are guided by the wind,
dancing, completely trustworthy to natures rhythm,
in the midst of chaos and unknown forces.
They look into the waters reflection as a mirror and see themselves.
The wild and wounded body is remembered and embraced,
from there they recreate their own world.”
The premiere of Children of Zeus will take place in May 2026 at Bellevue, Amsterdam. But first, creators Robbeduz and Valentina Gal will return to the studio, where they will merge different research projects into a full-length performance (as living exhibition). During the residency in 2025, Robbeduz was able to explore dance material and its connection to the sculptures. During residencies followed up, an initial version of the installation with water was tested. This will now be further explored during residencies at ICK Amsterdam and RIGHTABOUTNOW INC Amsterdam.
Credits
Artiest (initiator), dansmaker, productie
Robbeduz (Robin Nimanong)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbeduz/
Website: www.nimanong.com
DOX: https://wijzijndox.nl/producties/agenda/children-of-zeus
Scenografie en sculpturen, beeldend kunstenaar & co-creator
Valentina Gal
Website: https://www.valentinagal.com
Uitvoerend dansers
Qiqi (Qiyun Zheng), Fleur van der Schaaf, Robbeduz
Dramaturgy
Suzy Blok & Sophie Cohlen
Coaching
Hildegard Draaijer (DOX)
Co-production
Dox Utrecht
Movement Research & Ballroom Artist
Shiva Mugler
Artistic research
Dovilee Krutulytė & Athina Liakopoulou
Music
Guenter Raler, Nils Davidse, Robbeduz (live and tracks)
Costume
Reconstruct & Eva Marie-Louise
Licht Design
David Vermeulen
Residency 2025 (work in progress)
Huis Conny Janssen Danst, Pleintheater, Hollandse Luchten,
What You See Festival 2025 (Theater de Kikker)
Video 1
Filmed by MMMViideo (instagram personal: tremattia)