cheese board

Aster Fliers

Picture of fermented cashew cheeses, crackers and pickled caperberries on a board with a dried fig loaf. There's aged cashew with miso, aged cashew and hazelnut with annatto, and smoked aged cashew.

Picture of fermented cashew cheeses with crackers on a board. This shows fermented cashew mold-ripened with camembert and a layer of burnt leek running through it.

Picture of a ceramic bowl with cheese shards of ripened cashew and pine-nut with miso, aged and then dried until crumbly.

Picture of a creamy herbed roll of briefly fermented fresh cashew cheese, sliced through, with some of it spread on a cracker.

Vegan cheeseboard with fermented and mould-ripened cashew, hazelnut, almonds and pine nuts, flavoured with miso, burnt vegetables, annatto and herbs.

Credits
Concept: Marienel Blankers and Aster Fliers
Cheese: Aster Fliers
Photography: Aster Fliers

salt pig

Aster Fliers

Picture of two small turquoise hand throw vessels to hold salt for cooking.

Picture of the unglazed bottom of a small turquoise hand throw vessels stamped with the A F logo.

Credits
Vessel: Aster Fliers
Photography: Aster Fliers

krachtvoer: cow’s dessert

Aster Fliers

A photograph of an exquisite looking small yellow wheat&corn-based lemon cake with a green (barley)grass&orange soy-custard and crunchy corn-topping, an intense lemon sorbet with a sliver of purple clover and a shot of cornsilk&caraway-tea.

A photograph of an exquisite looking small yellow wheat&corn-based lemon cake with a green (barley)grass&orange soy-custard and crunchy corn-topping, an intense lemon sorbet with a sliver of purple clover and a shot of cornsilk&caraway-tea.
Part of the performance Krachtvoer by Yorke Mulder-Bhangoo.

This dessert is made entirely out of cowfood components: a wheat&corn-based lemon cake with a (barley)grass&orange soy-custard and crunchy corn-topping, an intense lemon sorbet with a sliver of purple clover, and a shot of cornsilk&caraway-tea.

CreditsDessert/recipe/photography: Aster Fliers
Performance concept: Yorke Mulder-Bhangoo & Tommy Ventevogel

ma thesis theatre studies

Aster Fliers

Welcome to the Machine

Connor Schumacher’s The Fool as a case against 24/7

Video still from the trailer of The Fool, showing the actor as the image of The Fool on the tarot card, one hand raised upwards, the other behind him.

The Fool by Connor Schumacher.

Download the thesis here.

A more encompassing summary of this thesis was published in the 9th issue of Danswetenschap in Nederland.

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the case study of Connor Schumacher’s 2015 performance The Fool from the perspective of Jonathan Crary’s 24/7: Late-Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep. In 24/7 Crary discusses 24/7 as a problem at the centre of a society that never stops, predicated on the eradication of sleep. This creates permanent half-wake state in which natural cycles are phased out, a society in which there is no space for resistance and where commonality is lost. 24/7 is about the individual at the expense of others. The problem is characterised by technological advances that ultimately do little besides finding new ways of perpetuating old structures of power, structuring attention in favour of consumerism. By looking at the way in which The Fool structures its spectator’s attention, focussing in particular on how it creates self-awareness using Maaike Bleeker’s focalisation, and by discussing liminality and the ritual as well as collaboration and communitas as possible modes of resistance to 24/7 following Victor Turner, I posit that The Fool can be seen as a case against some of the problematic aspects of 24/7 that Crary discusses. This thesis analyses The Fool and discusses the collaboration between Schumacher, dramaturg Maaike Schuurmans and concept developer Luis Rios Zertuche, as well as the potential to resist 24/7 in their working process and collaboration. This thesis concludes that while The Fool is a sometimes subtle or ambiguous case against 24/7, it does direct audience attention in such a way that it creates awareness of some of the more heinous aspects of it. Furthermore, Schumacher, Schuurmans and Rios Zertuche also offer resistance in how they choose to work and in the themes they are drawn to.

gilminder

Aster Fliers

Picture featuring a character (Gilminder) shown from mid-thigh up dressed in red underpants and a white leather jacket with black cuffs and collar, a red and black pocket lining and the word "Gil" emroidered in black glitter on the back above a hand-stichted equally black peacock feather. The character looks into the camera.

Picture featuring a character (Gilminder) shown from the mid-thigh up dressed in red underpants and a white leather jacket with black cuffs and collar, a red and black pocket lining and the word "Gil" emroidered in black glitter on the back above a hand-stichted equally black peacock feather. the character is facing away from the camera, showing of the embroidered pattern and pointing to it with both thumbs.

CreditsActor: Jos Nargy
Writer/director: Tommy Ventevogel
Costume/embroidery/photography: Aster Fliers

horseboy, a character study.

Aster Fliers

Close-up of a character (Horseboy) his head and upper arm. The character has gelled hair that's combed back, blue lipstick, black and blue eyeliner and a the contours of some faint electric-blue stubble. He wears a blue bandeau underneath a black tanktop featuring turquoise diamond-shapes. He is resting his head on his hand, looking straight into the camera.

Picture of a character (Horseboy) photographed in profile, turning his head to look stright at the camera. The character has gelled hair that's combed back, blue lipstick, black and blue eyeliner and is wearing black leggings and a light blue jumper with abstract grey print and white dots.

Picture of a character (Horseboy) from the waist up in a light blue retro polyester sweater with abstract design. His nails are painted a similar color and he wears a latex chestnut horse mask that is visible in profile. He has his hands next to his open mouth as though he is amplifying something he is shouting.

Picture of a character (Horseboy) from the waist up in a light blue retro polyester sweater with abstract design. His nails are painted a similar color and he wears a latex chestnut horse mask. He has his hands closed under his jaw as though he has just said something regrettable.

CreditsConcept/design/performance: Aster Fliers
Photography: Eva Arends

untitled performance

Aster Fliers

Untitled performance still featuring a red puppet lying on its side on a layer of earth.

Untitled performance still featuring a red puppet lying on its side on a layer of earth. Behind the puppet stands a naked figure pictured up to the mid thighs. Their knees and shins are covered in black earth, contrasting with the grey stone surroundings and pale legs.

Untitled performance still featuring a red puppet lying on its side on a layer of earth. Behind the puppet a figure dressed in jeans and a black shirt is spooning the puppet.

CreditsConcept/design/performance: Aster Fliers

taxonomania

Aster Fliers

Four characters, all dressed in some form of suit or pants-sweater-combo, beding over an opened suitcase in the right lower corner. Three of them are holding a lightbulb that's attached to a black cord, using it to shine light into the suitcase for the forth character sitting behind and bent over the suitcase.

Picture of a character (Arend) shown from the hips up, reading from a script. He is wearing a grey shirt underneath a grey sweater featuring three golden diamonds on the chest that each contain the black outline of a moose, similar to "watch out, moose crossing" warning roadsigns. In the background behind the character's head, a we see another character (God) out of focus, sitting on a chair placed on a platform, wearing a black suit.

CreditsActors: Steven Hooi, Sanne Den Hartogh, Ellik Bargai, Adison dos Reis and Ergun Simsek.
Production: Tamara Le Roy/MC
Writer: Tommy Ventevogel
Director: Kasper Kapteijn
Dramaturgy: Robbert van Heuven
Sound/light: Luuk Vierhout
Photography: Jean van Lingen.

choir member

Aster Fliers

Picture featuring three the same images side-by-side of a person wearing a cream-coloured mini sheath-dress with black sequined shoulders, black heeled boots, black gloves and a black rubber swimming cap. There is a circular cutout in the dress showing the person's bellybutton precisely in the middle.

CreditsCostume: Aster Fliers
Photography: Marienel Blankers

tommy, the rock opera

Aster Fliers

Picture featuring a character (Tommy) dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, sitting cross-legged staring up and away from the camera. Both his hands are on the floor. Right behind him we see a character (Acid Queen) dressed in stockings, a red and gold dress and gold patent stilettos. She's turned with her back to the camera, positioned on all fours, exposing her black underpants.

Picture of a character (The Preacher) wearing purple vestments with two red devils on the yellow stole. He takes a drink from a bottle of hard liquor with his left hand and has a microphone in his right. In the background two band members are also visible.

CreditsActors: Guy Corneille, Laurens Macklon, Aster Fliers
Producer & Assistant Director: Senne Vercouteren
Director: Aster Fliers
Stage Design: Lowi Willems
Costumes: Fred Abbingh, Aster Fliers
Photography: Anne Heeger