Venom, 2022

Writer/Organizer: Boyan Montero
Performers: Boris Bezemer, Tseroeja van den Bos, Clémence Lollia Hilaire, Sara Milio, Boyan Montero, Karin Iturralde Nurnberg
De Thomaskerk – Amsterdam, NL
Photos: Diego Diez
Video footage: Patrick Anderson, Karin Iturralde Nurnberg, Sara Milio

In Boyan Montero’s research, Only The Sun Comes Up For Free, Boyan explored the concept of art as a ‘gift’ with its dual meaning in German, encompassing both the positive and negative connotations of ‘poison.’ This exploration led to Montero’s growing fascination with art as a ‘necessary poison,’ inspired by the symbolic significance of the poisoned apple in the story of Snow White, which, rather than being the end of her, became the final and most challenging step in her journey of maturation. Should art only provide pleasant experiences, or should it also contain a discernible and occasionally uncomfortable dose of poison?