The Cause of Disease (Pricina za bolesta) draws upon the artists’ personal biographies and reflections on
the society they live in, focusing on themes of the forbidden, as well as the concepts of borders and freedom. The performance explores issues such as freedom of speech, the declaration of sexual orientation, and other personal rights implicitly restricted in a traditional, conservative society, one further corrupted by the ruling political parties.
In an interview with the Student Centre Zagreb, during their residency supported by the apap – advancing performing arts project, the artists critically addressed the polarization in North Macedonia—both in politics and societal values— where traditional and contemporary perspectives on living clash intensely. Reflecting on these dichotomies, they examined the concept of ‘forbidden’ surfaces in their lives and within the performing arts, particularly in times of economic crisis. In the performance, the artists included a critique of the lack of support for the conceptual or critical performing arts, that is socially relevant and politically aware. Through diverse performative actions (talk, video material, and gestures) used in the performance, the artists were also referring to performance as a powerful tool for research, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
In the above-mentioned interview, the artists emphasized that this performance was their way of confronting economic, symbolic and emotional barriers—spaces that have been ignored, excluded, or rendered invisible by society. Thus, as well as the performance itself we can also notice the presentation at the Zagreb residency as a performative action of advocacy, an intimate sharing of the working positions of performers in North Macedonia, an action of voicing the needs and boundaries or frames in which a performing artist can work, create and live.
