ROHTKO

One of the biggest scandals in the art world lies at the heart of Lukasz Twarkowski's performance ROHTKO. The production is brought to life by Dailes Theatre (Latvia) in collaboration with Twarkowski's close creative team and actors from Latvia, Poland and China.

In 2004, a couple bought a painting by Mark Rothko for $8.3 million. Years later, it turns out to be not by Rothko himself, but by a Chinese maths teacher from Queens who also forged works by Jackson Pollock. Can a fake painting evoke real feelings? What is real art and what is it worth?

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In just under four hours of steaming beats and two huge video screens, Twarkowski and his cast of extraordinary actors search for answers on the value of real and fake, inspired by philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s book Shanzai, in which 'shanzhai' refers to a unique blend of imitation, innovation, and affordable, locally adapted versions of popular products in Chinese culture.

ROHTKO is set in the grey area between fact and fiction, real and fake, and explores shanzai in a deeper way. The piece goes beyond philosophical reflection; through parallel storylines, dynamic set changes and intense music, Twarkowski creates a cinematic experience that fully engages the audience.

direction Łukasz Twarkowski
text Anka Herbut
dramaturgy Anka Herbut
stage design Fabien Lédé
costume design Svenja Gassen
choreography Paweł Sakowicz
music Lubomir Grzelak
video design Jakub Lech
lighting design Eugenijus Sabaliauskas

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cast Juris Bartkevičs, Kaspars Dumburs, Ērika Eglija-Grāvele, Yan Huang, Andrzej Jakubczyk, Rēzija Kalniņa, Katarzyna Osipuk, Artūrs Skrastiņš, Mārtiņš Upenieks, Toms Veličko, Xiaochen Wang, Vita Vārpiņa
production Dailes Theatre
coproduction JK Opole Theatre, Adam Mickiewicz Institute

with the support of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland