«Performing Arts Research Trips to Switzerland» – Diego Aramburo
Bolivia, Switzerland — Research Trips
COINCIDENCIA supported two research trips of the playwright Diego Aramburo. The first in November 2018 and the second in April 2019.
To blow up concepts, when and where – that is the question
A portrait of the (fe)male artist writen by Katja Zellweger in April 2019
Diego Aramburo has been named by the specialized press one of the most important and influential artists of the Bolivian scene, and his/her works have been translated and staged in different countries. S/he received important recognitions such as the National Award for Theatre in Bolivia, that s/he won ten times. Aramburo is also director of the «International Theatre Festival Santa Cruz de la Sierra».

In his/her first research trip, in 2018, Aramburo wanted to get to know the live arts scene in Switzerland in depth, to establish links as a starting point for future collaborations. The artist could travel across the country and meet professionals like Marcel Schwald, Eva Maria Bertschy, Milo Rau, Alexandra Bachzetsis and Boris Nikitin.
This meeting with Boris led to the second research trip of Diego Aramburo, in 2019. On this occasion, Aramburo visited the «Programme Commun» Theater Festival in Lausanne, on the first week of April. Then, the artist was invited to Basel for the Festival «It’s the real thing» (from 10 to 14 April 2019) by its director Boris Nikitin. During these days, through performance, theatre and debates, the human body was questioned as an identity and reality vector. These discussions are part of the dialogue process between the two artists. Aramburo and Nikitin began a collaboration that questions issues such as reality, imitation and propaganda.