In The Weird and the Eerie, Mark Fisher analyzes two subgenres of the concept of strangeness, both difficult to translate into Portuguese: weird and eerie. According to the author, what is weird is often associated with a feeling of error or lack of belonging. However, he argues that if any entity, object or relationship actually exists, then it is the categories we formulate to make sense of the world that must be questioned. What is eerie is associated with failure - the failure of an absence or the failure of a presence, evoking the question of agency. Fisher concludes that the eerie sensation disappears the moment we become aware of the agency behind some event. There is a connection with mystery, suspense and the unknown.
Credits
Direction, co-creation and interpretation
Ana Rita Xavier
Sound design, co-creation and interpretation
Mariana Leite Soares
Lighting and scenic space
Ana Rita Xavier, Mariana Leite Soares
Costume design
Ana Paula Ferreira
Artistic advice
Pedro Azevedo, Andy Pomarico
Residence support
Insável - Centro Coreográfico, ESTUFA - Plataforma Cultural, TUP - Teatro Universitário do Porto, Amparo 99
Co-production in Residence
Theatro Circo, O Espaço do Tempo
Coproduction
Teatro Municipal do Porto, Insável Centro Coreográfico
Thanks to
CRL - Central Elétrica

Ana Rita Xavier (b. 1995. Guimarães, Portugal) works with research, creation and interpretation in contemporary dance and performance. They graduated in Escola Superior de Dança (Lisbon, 2016) and highlights their collaborations with Gustavo Cirático, BLUFF, Joana Castro, Daniela Cruz and Nuno Preto, Gil Mac, CRL - Central Elétrica, Xana Novais and António Lago. As a creator, they presented “Zona 1”, “Título meramente descritivo ou duas mulheres e uma plateia” and “X’s off”.