Peder Bjurman, artist, writer and director. In combining imagery and music with strong abstract or narrative texts, his performances often blend the tragical with the poetic or comic. He gives equal importance to light, sound, set and the actors’ performances, often utilizing cutting edge stage technology. His work is often devised and developed in close collaboration with the ensemble or with other artists, composers, designers and stage tech companies.
The installations, plays and performances have been shown internationally in New York, Montreal, London, Paris, New Zealand, Mexico, Taiwan etc. and around the Scandinavian countries, and tour continuously.
He has an ongoing collaboration with the Canadian director Robert Lepage for whom he has worked as ideateur, writer and dramaturge over past twenty years, including the original idea for Far Side of the Moon, with music by Laurie Anderson.
Peder Bjurman also acts as artistic consultant and advisor for companies and festivals, as with Philip Glass’ latest opera Circus Days and Nights, and he has initiated organizations like the European 360 network, the production platform SITE, the export office Loco Motion, and the art installation company FMR Productions.
His writing includes librettos for opera, radio theatre, performance art pieces, video installations and music theatre. The most recent work focuses on large scale participatory video installations and exhibitions, often with playful perception based material around the senses and with the conscious mind as theme, such as The Cloud Machine and The Air Loom. And is currently the Artistic Director for the Otherworldly Festival in Uppsala Sweden.
Recent Projects
INSTALLATIONS
Archive of Moments, 2013 (Concept, Text, Design)
Fylkingen, Stockholm. How long is a smile? What do you remember of yesterday’s breakfast and what was the meaning of the chance meeting on the corner? The Archive of Moments is a pseudo-scientific ritual and a musical lecture performance with visuals on the phenomenon and the art of seizing a moment, based on the psychology research of David Stern. The archive continually conducts a large survey of the neurological nature of the Present and how it is perceived. Co-Concept and Music: Leif Jordansson. Video: Peter Norrman. Performed by Benjamin Quigley.
Grow in the Dark, 2011 (Concept, Text, Design)
Opening at MDT Stockholm. A self-playing piece of theatre, where the audience preform the text using que-cards, and two mice run all the music ques by triggering sensors in their cage. The set is based on the most famous piece of furniture in the world – the plastic chair, that was made to glow in the dark. Created with Leif Jordansson and produced by FMR prod. Performed by the audience.
The Cloud Machine, 2015 (Concept, Design, Direction)
Opening at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts 2015, Stockholm and at Future of Storytelling festival, Staten Island New York. A social sculpture, and audience generated 3D-projected digital cloud. Programming architecture: Ricardo Atienza. Produced by FMR prod.
Created with Leif Jordansson (Music) and Nils Fridén (video).
DROM, 2018 (Concept, Adaptation, Design, Direction)
Performed at Slaktkyrkan, Stockholm. Adaptation of Margret Cavendish’s sci-fi novel A Blazing World from 1666. Musicians and performers from Zirkus Lokomotiv and The Great Learning Orchestra. Music by Leif Jordansson, Sculpture built by artist Torbjörn Berg assisted by Anders Klingmark.
Soloists: Elisabeth Wärnefeldt and Ylva Törnblom. Produced by FMR Production.
Light-time Lantern, 2019-2020 (Concept)
A mechatronic shadow play and light/sound installation 2019 on the topic of Home, Belonging and Longing. Created with the Taiwanese artist and designer Joe Fang. Commissioned by and for the annual Lantern Festival in Donggang/Taiwan and in the port of Elsinore, Denmark. Curator: Derjk Wu. Produced by Jollify Forever/Daniel Wong for The Lantern Festival.
WRITING
Far Side of the Moon, 2000 Theatre (Original idea, co-writer)
A solo piece on the space race of the seventies and the strive for finding a place of your own in universe, hence competition and solitude. Performed and directed by Robert Lepage. Music by Laurie Anderson.
Fears of the Ice, 2003, Radio Play (Writer)
The Swedish National Radio Theatre, On the Austrian-Hungarian expedition to find the North-Eastern passage, that survived two years stuck in the ice through performing opera arias and building ice cities. Directed by Bogdan Szyber and Carina Reich. Performed by singer Stina Nordenstam.
Orpheus in the Underworld, 2004 Opera, (Libretto and Lyrics)
A new take on Offenbach’s opera with and story new songs and dialogue to the famous songs. Opening at Folkoperan, Stockholm.
Directed and Designed by Bogdan Szyber and Carina Reich.
The Andersen Project, 2005, Theatre (Co-writer)
On the life of a Québec writer in Paris, commissioned to write a libretto from The Dryad during the many long strikes. On fairy tales and the dark side of HC Andersen. Opening at The Andersen Jublee in Copenhagen. Co-written by Marie Gignac, directed and performed by Robert Lepage.
Playing Cards: Spades, Hearts Theatre 2012-2014 (Ideation, Dramaturgue)
A performance in the round about the Orient - Occident conflict, set between the Iraqi desert and Las Vegas during the war 2003. Directed by Robert Lepage.
887, 2015, (Ideation, Dramaturge)
A solo performance on the personal and collective memory, set during the days of the “guerre tranquil” in Québec of the 70:ies. Opening at the pan American Games Toronto. Creative director: Steve Blanchet. Written and performed by Robert Lepage.
Poe’s Haunted Palace, 2017, (Story and Book)
Based on the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. With the British Dark Cabaret-band The Tiger Lillies Paris, London, Sète, Auckland etc. Directed by Paul Golub, Set and Video design by Mark Holthusen.
Corrido de la Sangre, 2018, (Story and Book)
A Narco Puppet Opera with The Tiger Lillies created in Huamantla/ Mexico, and performed at Home Theatre Manchester. Concept, Design and Direction by Mark Holthusen.
PERFORMING ARTS
Doctor Glas, Theatre. (Direction and Set design)
Opening in 2006 at Vasateatern, Stockholm, with Krister Henriksson. Text by Hjalmar Söderberg. Also performed at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, and toured to Espoo Theatre/Helsinki, Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End, The Royal Theatre /Copenhagen, Place des Arts/Montreal.
Crust. Performance. (Text and Direction)
Opening in 2007 at the Reykjavik City Theatre, as part of the nordic Break The Ice project, co-written by Kelly Davis.
Slapstick, Physical Theatre. (Concept, Design, Direction)
Opening at Rival theatre, Stockholm 2008.
Co-created with the ensemble cast.
Enter Numan, Visual Theatre (Concept, Design, Director).
Opening at The House of dance 2009.
Text by David Shrigley. Co-created with and performed by Lars Bethke.
Sisyphus – back on top! Visual Concert. (Concept, Design, Direction)
Opening at Södra Teatern, Stockholm 2011, Music by Per Störby Jutbring, performed by New Tide Orchestra. Texts by Albert Camus, Lars Bethke, co-created with the performer Lars Bethke.
Black Holes, Music Theatre (Co-Direction, design)
Opening at Södra Teatern, 2014.
A quantum mechanical musical for Södra Teatern, Stockholm, and adopted for Swedish National TV, 2015. Co-directed with Charlotte Engelkes, Music by Leif Jordansson. With Lindy Larsson and Charlotte Engelkes.
Doctor Glas Audio walk. (Concept, direction, adaptation)
A GPS-based AR and audio walk through central Stockholm. 2020. Set in the blocks of the famous novel by Hjalmar Söderberg. Developed with DVA Studio.
Awarded with a Golden Egg for best Audio production, and a Silver Egg for best Sound 2022.
OTHER
Consultant on Circus Days and Nights, 2019-21 – a new opera by Philip Glass, commissioned by Malmö Opera for 2021.
Research for Laurie Anderson for upcoming exhibition at Modern Museum of Art in Stockholm, Sweden.
Initiator to Elverket, 1997, The Royal Dramatic Theatre’s annex stage.
Initiator to SITE – a production centre for experimental theatre and dance.
Initiator to Loco Motion – an export agency for performing arts
Lecturer at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm. Post master course.
Lecturer at Uniarts, Stockholm University for the Arts.