UNBORN – Interview

UNBORN: an artistic journey towards unheard perspectives

UNBORN – a musical journey through the in-between can be seen at various locations in Amsterdam this summer. UNBORN is a collaboration between Guillermo Armand Blinker, also known as OTION, and Ulrike Quade Company. The two creators previously worked together on The Fetus Heaven.

What is the idea behind this collaboration? How did UNBORN come about, and what does Ulrike Quade Company hope visitors take away after seeing the performance?

Ulrike Quade of Ulrike Quade Company provides answers.

An artistic follow-up to The Fetus Heaven

“UNBORN is the result of an invitation to OTION to revisit The Fetus Heaven and its underlying themes, and to develop a continuation based on his own artistic signature. We asked him to use as much of the material, the artistic team, and the knowledge of the Company as possible. Visitors who have seen The Fetus Heaven and attend UNBORN will hopefully be inspired to create their own ‘in-between spaces’, where they can question themselves and make room for personal transformation.”

On controversies, potential, and new perspectives

“During a conversation with Simon(e) van Saarloos, a discussion arose about the controversial abortion laws in the United States. The question was raised: are unborn fetuses always victims, or are they actually freed from the suffering and limitations of the physical world? In the so-called fetus heaven, they are still full of potential, undefined, and not subject to social and societal codes, norms, and values. What can we learn from their fluidity and ambivalence? What does that tell us about our world? These are the questions we explored in The Fetus Heaven.”

“The idea was to dive deeper into the core themes of The Fetus Heaven. During the creative process, new worlds and perspectives opened up. We wanted to further utilize the knowledge we gained during this process.”

A creator with a refreshing outlook

“OTION composed the music for The Fetus Heaven and gave voice to the fetuses. During this collaboration, it quickly became clear that OTION is a creator with a refreshing perspective on humanity and the world, which is expressed in layered ways through his music. We wanted to explore the themes of The Fetus Heaven further and were curious to see what more OTION had to offer as a multidisciplinary creator.”

From trauma to transformation

“The creative process of UNBORN is based on the philosophy that we, as humans, are quantum beings and that our system works like a computer. We have bugs in the form of traumas and get triggered; these signals show us where we are not yet free and what our fears are trying to tell us. The computer symbolizes our body and mind, which, after a reset, can process new ideas and insights to enable change.”

Less-heard and conceptual visions

“In my work, I focus on exploring the human experience and the variability of our relationship with the world. Through poetry and magic, we celebrate the complexity of being human and hope to inspire our audience to shape their own future. We invite our visitors to be open to innovative and original perspectives. UNBORN aligns perfectly with this, offering a theatrical concert by OTION that brings together diverse perspectives and experiences, no matter what stage of life you are in.”

“With UNBORN, we aim to innovate our approach and provide a platform for emerging creators to further develop. We strive for the sustainable use of knowledge, people, and resources and hope to build bridges between different art disciplines and art lovers. Our goal is to create an inspiring and innovative experience with this performance that enriches the future of art and creation.”