The Humans

The Reader

The Humans Alexandre Singh26.05.2012 — 06.01.2013Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art EditorAmira Gad DesignA Practice for Everyday Life, Alexandre Singh and Kristin Metho Witte de With Center for Contemporary Artis supported by the City of Rotterdam and theMinistry of Culture.

Research document, not intended for commercial purposes or distribution / Onderzoek document, niet voor commerciële doeleinden of distributie.

III

Content

I The Creation: On Cosmogony and Cosmology. 03 The Bible; 15 Ovid, Metamorphoses; 23 The Upanishads;

35 Hesiod, Theogny; 51 The Epic of Gilgamesh.

II Pictorial Satire: On Hogarth, Daumier and South Park. 67 Honoré Daumier: Bruce Laughton, Honoré Daumier, Yale

University Press New Haven and London, 1996; Daumier, Steinlen, Toulouse-Lautrec, La vie au quotidien, Catalogue de l’exposition au Palais Lumière, Ville d’Evian, Somogy Editions d’Art, Paris, 2011; 79 William Hogarth: Engravings by Hogarth, edited by Sean Shesgreen, 101 prints, Dover publications, Inc., New York, 1973; Hogarth, Mark Hallett, Phaidon, Art&Ideas, 2000; 93 South Park, www.southparkstudios.com

III Theatrical Costumes. 115 Phyllis Hartnoll, The Theatre: A Concide History, Thames &

Hudson wold of art, 3rd edition, updated by Enoch Brater, 1998; 125 A.M. Nagler, Chapter 9, ‘Skeptical View of the Commedia Masks’, A Source Book in Theatrical History. Twenty-five centuries of stage history in more than 300 basic documents and other primary material, Yale University School of Drama, Dover Publications, 1952; 131 John Russel Brown, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre, Oxford University Press 2001.

IV Aristophanes. 137 Aristophanes, Lysistrata and Other Plays, Penguin Classics,

2003; 153 Aristophanes, Frogs and Other Plays, Penguin Classics, 2007.

V The Mountain in Art and Literature. 229 Marjorie Hope Nicolson, Mountain Gloom and Mountain

Glory. The Development of the Aesthetics of the Infinite.

VI Literary Satire. 345 Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock and Other Major

Writings; 381 Lucian, Chattering Courtesans and Other Sardonic Sketches; 399 P.G. Wodehouse, Summer Lightning; 423 P.G. Wodehouse, The Mating Season.

VII The Voice and the Chorus. 449 Reynaldo Hahn, On Singers and Singing; 473 Wagner on Music

and Drama. A compendium of Richard Wagner’s prose writings.

VIII Artificial Moons (Lighting in Theater). 485 A.M. Nagler, A Source Book in Theatrical History. Twenty-five

centuries of stage history in more than 300 basic documents and other primary material, Yale University School of Drama, Dover Publications, 1952.

V

Introduction Inleiding

Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art presenteert de totstandkoming van de productie The Humans, een toneelstuk dat ‘de schepping van een nieuwe wereld’ nastreeft, van beeldend kunstenaar en schrijver Alexandre Singh.

Met ‘schepping’ als centraal thema en de antieke Griekse komedies van Aristophanes als inspiratie- bron speelt The Humans zich af in een tijd voor het ontstaan van de Aarde, in een protowereld be- volkt door geesten, goden, ambachtslieden en mannen van klei en gips. De theatrale verwijzingen mogen dan naar de klassieke oudheid zijn, de satire is absoluut van deze tijd: religie, moraliteit en menselijke hybris worden op bijtende toon bespot.

Deze geselecteerde teksten bieden inzicht in de verschillende thema’s die de kunstenaar verkent. The Reader vormt zo een fundamentele bron van informatie en inspiratie.

Defne Ayas, Director

Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art presents the on-site realization of The Humans, a theatrical performance creating and staging a ‘new world’ by visual artist and writer Alexandre Singh.

Set before the Earth’s beginning in a proto-world populated by spirits, gods, artisans and men of clay and plaster, The Humans—with ‘creation’ as its central theme—is modeled after the ancient Greek plays of Aristophanes. Whilst the theatrical references are ancient, the satire is utterly modern: religion, morality and human hubris are all mocked with an irreverent and biting tone.

These selected texts provide an insight into different themes the artist explores over the course of the project. The Reader thus functions as an in depth source of information and inspiration.

Defne Ayas, Director

1

IThe Creation: On Cosmogony and Cosmology.

03 The Bible.

15 Ovid, Metamorphoses.

23 The Upanishads.

35 Hesiod, Theogny.

51 The Epic of Gilgamesh.

65

IIPictorial Satire: On Hogarth, Daumier and South Park.

67 Honoré Daumier Bruce Laughton, Honoré Daumier, Yale University Press New Haven and London, 1996. Daumier, Steinlen, Toulouse-Lautrec, La vie au quotidien, Catalogue de l’exposition au Palais Lumière, Ville d’Evian, Somogy Editions d’Art, Paris, 2011.

79 William Hogarth Engravings by Hogarth, edited by Sean Shesgreen, 101 prints, Dover publications, Inc., New York, 1973. Mark Hallett, Hogarth, Phaidon, Art&Ideas, 2000.

93 South Park www.southparkstudios.com

67

Honoré Daumier, PARISIANS IN THE COUNTRY. My aren’t we brave going on this little adventure … now that’s something rather disturbing … I believe it might be wise to hold back. — I think they’re only haystacks … — I feared they might be the huts of some fierce savages! (PARISIENS à LA CAMPAGNE: Nous sommes imprudents de nous aventurer de la sorte… voilà là-bas quelque chose qui m’inquiète … je ne sais pas s’il est prudent d’avancer — Mais, ce sont, je crois, des meules de blé… — Je craignais que ce ne soient des huttes de sauvages !), 1857

68

Above: Honoré Daumier, I think I detect some water in this wine. — Oh no I quite disagree, it’s obviously water with perhaps a little hint of wine about it. (Voilà du vin qui sent l’eau ! — Non je trouve que c’est plutôt de l’eau qui sent le vin.), 1856; Below: Honoré Daumier, In Bercy: Here we are doing everything possible to keep the Seine from overflowing … and there are still some people who question our good intentions! (à Bercy: Nous faisons tout ce que nous pouvons pour empêcher que le Seine déborde jamais et il y a pourtant encore des gens qui ne nous savent pas gré de notre bonne intention !), 1856 Opposite page: Above: Honoré Daumier, Ah, the smell of jasmine! — It doesn’t smell of roses! (Ça sent le jasmin ! — Ça ne sent pas la violette !), 1853; Below: Honoré Daumier, Don Quichotte courant sur les moutons, 1867 – 75

70

Above: Honoré Daumier, La parade, 1867 – 70; Below: Honoré Daumier, Le Malade Imaginaire, 1858 – 63 Opposite page: Honoré Daumier, Un amateur, 184770

7272 Honoré Daumier, A gentleman who gets aroused in any season. (Un monsieur qui s’enflamme en toute saison.), 1852

73

Above: Honoré Daumier, A lawyer who is quite clearly impregnated with the very deepest of convictions … that his client will pay him well! (Un avocat qui évidement est rempli de la conviction la plus intime … que son client le paiera bien !), 1845; Below: Honore Daumier, Masks of 1831 published in La Caricature

74Honoré Daumier, The greatest tarts, don’t always wear the smallest skirts. (Des dames d’un demi-monde mais n’ayant pas n’ayant pas de demi-jupes.)

75Honoré Daumier, The Connoisseur

76Honoré Daumier, The Past, the Present, and the Future (Le passé – Le présent – L’Avenir), from La Caricature, no. 166, Jan. 9, 1834

77Honoré Daumier, The Legislative Belly, 1834

79William Hogarth, Characters and Caricaturas

80 William Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753

81William Hogarth, Scholars at a Lecture

82 William Hogarth, After Marcellus Laroon, The Cully Flaug’d, ca. 170082

8383William Hogarth, Beer Street, 1751

84William Hogarth, Breakfast, 1732 Opposite page: William Hogarth, Credulity Superstition and Fanaticism, A Medley, 1762

87

William Hogarth, Gin Lane, 1751 Opposite page: Above: William Hogarth, Marriage à la Mode, 1745; Below: William Hogarth, Self-Portrait as Serjeant Painter to His Majesty, ca. 1758

88 William Hogarth, The First Stage of Cruelty, 175188

89Above: William Hogarth, The Idle ‘Prentice betray’d by his Whore & taken in a Night Cellar with his Accomplice, 1747 Below: William Hogarth, The Industrious ‘Prentice grown rich & Sheriff of London, 1747

90

Above: William Hogarth, The Laughing Audience, 1733; Below: William Hogarth, Serjeant Painter to His Majesty, 1758 Opposite page: Above: William Hogarth, The Rake’s Progress (3), 1733 – 5; Below: William Hogarth, The Rake’s Progress (2), 1733 – 5

93

Paparazzi photo of Britney Spears

“Britney’s New Look”, Episode 1202

95

Britney Spears


96

Man: We like to think we’re more civilized now, but the truth is our lust for torture and death is no different than it was in gladiator times. “Britney’s New Look”, Episode 1202

Britney Spears


97

Nagix: Earth! The greatest universal reality show of all time!

“Cancelled”, Episode 701

Stan: Chef - I think we’re in a repeat!


98

Joozian Network Executive: I’m sorry earthlings, but you have to realize the universe is a business.


Stan: Wait a minute. This has all happened before.Kyle: Yeah. This does see, really familiar.


99

Stan: Chef, Kenny has a picture of two green things sucking each other’s shoulders.Cartman: What is it, Chef? “Cancelled”, Episode 701

Joozian 1: Yeah, suck my jagon!Joozian 2: Oh yeah! Stick your finger in my thrusher!


100

Chef: I don’t know. But something tells me this picture might be very important, children. You should hang on to it.


Nagix, an ice cream-crapping taco, leads the boys through an alien spaceship-television studio.


101

[Back at the space center, day. Jeff is cleaning up after the destruction left behind by the visitors]

CHEF Jeff!! The aliens took the children up on their ship.

JEFF

Oh no!

CHEF Did you find out what the aliens were up to?

JEFF

When I reversed the polarities, I found this: It's a message that the aliens are broadcasting throughout the

entire universe. But I have no idea what it says.

CHEF They took the children, Jeff! I have to know what those

aliens are up to!

JEFF Wait a minute! Butt sex!

CHEF

Butt sex?

JEFF Butt sex requires a lot of lubrication, right? Lubrication. Lubruh... Chupuh... Chupacabra 's the, the goat

killer of Mexican folklore. Folklore is stories from the past that are often fictionalized. Fictionalized to heighten drama. Drama students! Students at colleges

usually have bicycles! Bi, bian, binary. It's binary code!

CHEF Who's havin' butt sex?

102

Family Guy Produceer: When FOX censored the image of Moham-mad last week, it also meant that the Mohammad ball had to come out of the idea tank. This made the manatees very upset. Mana-tees are very ethical writers. Either everything’s okay to write about, or nothing is.

“Cartoon Wars, Part II”, Episode 1004

Family Guy writing staff’s joke generator, “Cartoon Wars, Part II”, Episode 1004

103

[FOX Studios. Cartman is seated two chairs away from Bart. Muzak is playing in the background]

CARTMAN

So... you don't like Family Guy either, huh?

BART I hate Family Guy.

CARTMAN:

So what's your plan? You're gonna ask the president of the network nicely to take it off the air?

BART

Not nicely.

CARTMAN Look, kid, if you hate a TV show, all you have to do is get an episode pulled. Pretty soon the show is compromised and it goes off the air.

BART

Cool, man.

CARTMAN Yes. So my plan is to use this whole Mohammad thing as a way to scare the network into pulling tonight's show. I'm going to use fear to get

them to do what I want.

BART Isn't that like, terrorism?

CARTMAN

...No, it isn't like terrorism. It IS terrorism.

BART I could do that.

CARTMAN

This is manipulation at its highest lever; you should let me handle this.

BART

I'm a pretty bad kid.

CARTMAN Really? What's the worst thing you've ever done?

BART

I stole the head off a statue once.

CARTMAN Wow, that's pretty hardcore. Geez. That's like this one time, when I

didn't like a kid, so I ground his parents up into chili and fed it to him.

104

“Do the Handicapped Go To Hell?”, Episode 410

Satan and Saddam Hussein

Easter Bunny

“Fantastic Easter Special”, Episode 1105

105

[Town meeting in one of the rooms in City Hall. Everyone is talking all at once]

Mayor McDaniels People! People, quiet, please! [the crowd quiets down] We must not

panic!

Randy Well what are we gonna do, Mayor?! Part 2 of the Family Guy episode

airs in six days!

Mayor McDaniels I believe that Professor Thomas from the University has come up with a

solution.

Professor Thomas [steps up to the podium] Thank you, Mayor. [everyone sits] Now look,

everyone, Muslim terrorists and extremists are threatening us for what Family Guy is going to do... because they've wrongly grouped us

together. Our only hope is to make the Muslim extremists know... that we had no part in the Mohammad episode. That even though the episode

aired, we didn't watch it, we didn't hear it, and we didn't talk about it.

Jimbo So how do we do that?

Professor Thomas

We bury our heads. In sand. [flips a board over to reveal his plan for disavowing any knowledge of the episode] We take twenty to twenty-five dump trucks, fill them with sand from Monarch Lake, and then dump the sand along South Park Avenue. By using approximately eighteen dozen shovels, we can each dig a hole in the sand, stick our heads in the

holes, and then have the person to our left bury them. If we can manage to get every person's head buried deep, deep in sand before the

Mohammad episode airs, we could avoid looking like we're responsible for any part of this at all.

Stephen

No, no, wait a minute, [Mrs. Garrison looks at him] it's ridiculous. [Gerald looks at him] What we need to do is just the opposite. Freedom of speech is at stake here, don't you all see? [makes his way to the board] If anything, we should ALL make cartoons of Mohammad, and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief

that every person has a right to say what they want! Look, people, it's... been real easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades we haven't had to risk anything to defend it. But those times are going to come! And one of those times is right now. And if WE... aren't willing to RISK... what we have, then we just believe in free speech, but we don't defend it. [the other people there mull

this speech over...]

Randy I like the sand idea!

Mr. Mackey

Yeah, me too,

Gerald Yeah. The sand thing sounds a lot simpler. [everyone else agrees]

Mayor McDaniels

We’re gonna need eight dozen shovels and sixteen tons of sand! Let’s move, people!

106

“Go God Go”, Episode 1012

Mrs. Garrison explaining evolution: And then one day a couple of fish had a retard baby.


Richard Dawkins


Mrs. Garrison hurling shit at Richard Dawkins

107

“Jewbilee”, Episode 309

Moses

“Probably”, Episode 411

God

108

Mr. Garrison: Every idea’s been done, Butters, even before The Simpsons.

“Simpsons Already Did It”, Episode 607

“Snuke”, Episode 1104

The Snuke and Hillary Clinton

109

“The Passion of the Jew”, Episode 803

Mel Gibson

110

“Super Best Friends”, Episode 503

Super Best Friends: Laozi, Joseph Smith, Mohammad, Jesus Christ, Sea Man, Buddha and Krishna

113

IIITheatrical Costumes.

115 Phyllis Hartnoll, The Theatre: A Concide History, Thames & Hudson wold of art, 3rd edition. Updated by Enoch Brater, 1998.

125 A.M. Nagler, Chapter 9 ‘Skeptical View of the Commedia Masks’, A Source Book in Theatrical History. Twenty-five centuries of stage history in more than 300 basic documents and other primary material, Yale University School of Drama, Dover Publications, 1952.

131 John Russel Brown, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre, Oxford University Press, 2001.

135

IVAristophanes.

137 Aristophanes, Lysistrata and Other Plays, Penguin Classics, 2003.

153 Aristophanes, Frogs and Other Plays, Penguin Classics, 2007.

156156

227

V The Mountain in Art and Literature.

229 Marjorie Hope Nicolson, Mountain Gloom and Mountain Glory. The Development of the Aesthetics of the Infinite.

343

VI Literary Satire.

345 Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock and Other Major Writings.

371 Lucian, Chattering Courtesans and Other Sardonic Sketches.

399 P.G. Wodehouse, Summer Lightning.

423 P.G. Wodehouse, The Mating Season.

447

VII The Voice and the Chorus.

449 Reynaldo Hahn, On Singers and Singing.

473 Wagner on Music and Drama. A compendium of Richard Wagner’s prose writings.

483

VIII Artificial Moons (Lighting in Theater).

485 A.M. Nagler, A Source Book in Theatrical History. Twenty-five centuries of stage history in more than 300 basic documents and other primary material, Yale University School of Drama, Dover Publications, 1952.

The Humans

Documents

Transcript of The Humans