DOPA stands for ‘dopamine’. In popular culture, it is described as the main chemical for experiencing pleasure and enjoyment. In the pharmacological world, it is also thought to play a big part in the behavior that is reinforced by reward – thus having a strong motivational effect.
In DOPA’s shared life forms, hackers attempt to open, dismantle, adjust and hijack system objects in their hands. This could be a luminescent organism, a behavioural code, a router or a noisy treasure that others have discarded as trash. At each new location, they map energy sources, list constraints, calculate wattage and harvest hidden stories. DOPA has evolved through different cities over the past year on tour – in Reykjavik, Kortrijk, Berlin, before landing with us. This time, DOPA will grow in Bergen with Leonard Leyens on the team. DOPA is a one-hour site-specific performance that amplifies and hacks local stories and narratives.
DOPA can’t predict its own evolution, and feeds on an accumulation of ferments contained in the places it crosses. They invest in real estate that is perishable, alterable and fugitive. Leaks are to be expected, as are heat waves, but they’ll be with you every step of the way.
