JÁTÉK-BOX

Installation, music performance | Collaboration with Sketch351 ensemble | Uilenburgersjoel | Amsterdam | 2026

JÁTÉK-BOX is a performative installation inspired by György Kurtág’s Játékok (meaning “Games” in Hungarian), a collection of miniature piano pieces filled with an extraordinary range of moods, gestures and playful surprises. What began as a search for music that reflected sense of playfulness gradually developed into an exploration of new sounds, textures and possibilities, bringing Kurtág’s intimate piano compositions into a new setting.

Conceived as a living, human jukebox, JÁTÉK-BOX invites the audience to take control of the musical experience. By turning a wheel of fortune, visitors can choose from twenty pieces from Kurtág’s Játékok, which the ensemble performs live and on demand. Additional interactive elements of the installation allow the public to interfere with the performance itself, for example by muting individual instruments and altering the musical outcome. Somewhere between a concert, a game and an installation, JÁTÉK-BOX turns listening into an active experience, where chance, curiosity and interaction become part of the performance. The project is dedicated to György Kurtág on the occasion of his 100th birthday, 19 February 2026.

CREDITS:

Music and performance by Sketch351: Alice Andreani (cello), Daniel Martins (trombone), Gonçalo Martins (percussion), Inês Lopes (piano) and Teresa Costa (flute)
Installation and costumes by Monika Nowak
Photography by Anna Lenartowska