Floris Schönfeld

2009 - 2012

‘u’ is a multidisciplinary project that revolves around the creation of the first authentic Klingon opera on earth. The Klingon are a humanoid warrior species from the long-running American TV series Star Trek. In the series the Klingon are know to be passionate opera lovers. However there are no actual examples of opera in the series. The Star Trek franchise has a large group of very dedicated followers who call themselves ‘Trekkies’. I placed my opera and my research within the canon of their world. The question was whether they would accept my addition to their world and if so, to what extent it would become part of their culture. 

The project is divided into six larger works (Klingon Musical Artefacts #1 to #5) that chronicle the conception, creation and eventual introduction of the opera to the Klingon fan base. These include various objects linked to the opera such as custom made instruments, stones containing the score and publication of the full libretto, as well as a full 70 minute opera itself.   

The final work in the series Klingon Musical Artefacts #6; the QiH Act is a single-channel video that documents the performance of the opera 'u' for a group of hardcore Klingon fans in Germany.

Schönfeld about the project;

I am interested in working with codes of group behaviour and social identities. A central theme of my work is how existing fictional structures interact with the society which created them and how these structures can be manipulated. The Star Trek franchise has a large group of very dedicated followers who call themselves ‘Trekkies’. A large part of the Star Trek universe has been developed through so called ‘fan fiction’ by the filling in of details and narrative gaps in the studio-made story lines. Because of this ‘Trekkies’ are constantly busy with defining what is and is not authentic. I placed my opera and my research within the canon of their world. The question was whether they would accept my addition to their world and if so, to what extent it would become part of their culture. Through all of these developments I continuously stressed the authenticity of my research and never allowed myself to publicly doubt the reality of its context.

KMA #6, the QiH act is a video work that documents the reaction of the Klingon fans as they are confronted with a seemingly real part of their own fictional culture. In this case I see this specific public reaction as part of the work itself. I try to create the pretext to a situation as effectively as possible but then it has to ‘happen’. In the context of an exhibition, I try to recreate this ‘happening’ by showing documentation of the actual experience and recounting the story of its creation. This retelling allows for the possibility of adding layers and subtexts in the narrative structure of the project as a whole. 

The project was developed by Schönfeld together with Zeebelt in The Hague and workshopped at the Watermill Center in New York as part of their Fall Residencies program. The opera has been performed at numerous theatres and festivals including the Unmenschliche Muziek Festival at the Haus der Kulutren der Welt in Berlin, the Voiz Opera festival in Zwolle and the Frascati Theater in Amsterdam. The film the QiH Act was screened at Kassel Documentary Film & Video Festival (where it was nominated for the A38-Production Grant Kassel-Halle), Arte online and the Kadist Foundation in San Francisco. The project has been featured by various news organisations including the New York Times, BBC World, NPR Music and The Guardian. 

For more on 'u' see the project website.

9 minute fragment of a 26 minute film.

The QiH Act is a multilayered study of the concepts of authenticity and reality within the fan community of the science fiction series Star Trek. In order to shoot the film, maker Floris Schönfeld spent three years developing ʻuʼ, the first ever authentic Klingon opera on earth by a human ensemble. In The QiH Act the opera is performed for the hardcore German Klingon fan club Khemorex Klinzhai at their annual gathering in Farnsberg Germany. The film documents the reactions of these ʻKlingonsʼ as they are confronted with a seeming very real part of their own fictional culture.

mixed media, 2009

Various instruments developed by for a Klingon orchestra by the artist in collaboration with Willem Marijs and Mike Rijnierse at Zeebelt, The Hague.

sand-blasted Belgian hard stone, 60 × 14 × 16 cm, 2008

Three objects on which the score of the opera is based. 

publication, 2010

The paq'batlh is an epic poem chronicling the life of the Klingon hero Kahless the Unforgettable. This story is known within the Star Trek world but only existed in short snippets that were featured in various episodes. Working with these available fragments the publication sets out to reconstruct the most complete version of the myth to date. The text later formed the basis for the libretto of the opera. Developed with Kees Ligtelijn and translated into Klingon by Marc Okrand. Published by Vincent van Gerven Oei at Uitgeverij 

publication, 2010

The paq'batlh is an epic poem chronicling the life of the Klingon hero Kahless the Unforgettable. This story is known within the Star Trek world but only existed in short snippets that were featured in various episodes. Working with these available fragments the publication sets out to reconstruct the most complete version of the myth to date. The text later formed the basis for the libretto of the opera. Developed with Kees Ligtelijn and translated into Klingon by Marc Okrand. Published by Vincent van Gerven Oei at Uitgeverij 

mixed media installation, objects between 4 and 12 cm in height

theatrical performance with 7 participants , 70 minutes, 2010

Production stills from the premiere performance of ‘u’ - a Klingon Opera at the Zeebelt Theater, The Hague, September 2010.

theatrical performance with 7 participants , 70 minutes, 2010

Production stills from the premiere performance of ‘u’ - a Klingon Opera at the Zeebelt Theater, The Hague, September 2010.

theatrical performance with 7 participants , 70 minutes, 2010

Production stills from the premiere performance of ‘u’ - a Klingon Opera at the Zeebelt Theater, The Hague, September 2010.