Ritual III | Sacrum Profanum

The quietest cry will meet with a blow, which is impossible to ignore. The two Japanese performances harness the same energy with two extreme strategies — an almost silent gesture and a physical explosion.

About the event

Post-war Japanese experimental culture often developed radical strategies of expression in tension against social discipline and the pressures of conformism — from the reduction and almost invisible gesture to noise and the physical attack of sound. Art became a space for revealing emotions and energies subject to strong control in everyday life. Tomoko Hojo and Ryosuke Kiyasu represent the two extreme poles of this tension.

Whispered Screaming grows out of Yoko Ono's wordless screams. Hojo chose them from the artist's discography and recorded them again in her own voice as whispered, almost silent cries. By superimposing them, she created a gesture of resistance to violence: instead of focusing on one voice drowning out the others, she allowed many silent voices to coexist. In 2025, she developed a new, completely unamplified version of the performance, transferring all the tension to the body, breath and gesture. This is what he will present in Krakow.

After the intervention of Jakub Ziółkowski, the energy will change direction. Kiyasu will not perform the 2018 album Ritual Offerings, but will create a new improvisation under this title. One snare drum, table and body are enough for him to build a complete performance — from precise rhythmic figures to beats, friction and abrupt movement of the instrument. The snare drum and table will be amplified so that any surface contact can become sound and rhythm a physical event taking place right in the middle of the audience.

In Hojo, the energy is stopped just before the sound; in Kiyasu it goes into a violent movement and impact. They are not opposites, but two outlets of the same stream of emotions.

More information and details about the concert can be found on the Sacrum Profanum Festival 2026 website.

English version: To read the descriptions and find out more in English, please visit the Sacrum Profanum website

Concert Band Ritual

Ritual is the main band of concerts of this year's edition. Every day we bring together artists presenting their own version of the Ritual. They will reach into forgotten cultures and fading traditions, create fantastic ethnographies and contemporary forms that can put audiences in a trance. We will hear music from different parts of the world — from reconstructions of Wielkopolska folk, through Algonkin songs and Indian ragas, to a Japanese performance and a contemporary instrument derived from the ancient Greek aulos.

The ritual begins with crossing the threshold. Enter Si On and Jakub Ziółkowski's installation — a world of painted fabrics and humanoid figures, reminiscent of a ritual tent. It is a space dedicated to the hallowed time of the festival. It is also a sphere untangled between art and rite, in which the audience will sit around the central stage. Each day, two performances will be combined by the musical-ritual intervention of Ziółkowski, who will act as master of ceremonies for the duration of the concerts. Artists and music will change, but all parts of the Ritual will maintain the same uninterrupted course.

Artists

Tomoko Hojo — Whispered Screaming (2022/2025) 20' (Polish premiere)

Tomoko Hojo — voice

Jakub Ziółkowski — ritual intervention 10'

Ryosuke Kiyasu — Ritual Offerings (2018/2026) 20' (world premiere)

Ryosuke Kiyasu — snare, table

https://vimeo.com/771833780

https://ryosukekiyasu.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-offerings

Organized by: KBF

The concert is co-organised by Cricoteka.

Accessibility

The event will last about 50 minutes and will take place without interruption. Two twenty-minute performances will be joined by the intervention of Jakub Ziółkowski.

Tomoko Hojo's performance will be unamplified and very quiet. Its components will be whispered, almost silent screams and, expressed in the language of the performance, references to violence, danger and the experience of being unheard. Ryosuke Kiyasu's performance will be amplified, physically intense and may include sudden, loud beats and the sounds of the snare rubbing against the table.

The audience will sit around the central stage on cushions, poufs and carpet. Several chairs will also be available.

It is possible to leave the room during the event, but there will be no possibility to return.

The nearest public transport stops are: Korona (tram and bus) and Ghetto Heroes Square (tram). Cricoteka does not have a car park for guests. Two parking spaces for people with disabilities are located on Nadwiślańska Street, near the entrance from the side of the Bernatka footbridge, but a high curb may be a difficulty when getting off. Upon prior notification of such a need, we can allocate a temporary parking space in the square.

The most convenient entrance to the building is through Cricoteki Square. After passing through the glass door, head to the elevator or staircase. The ticket office is located at level -1. Go to it if you do not have a ticket to the event or need additional information/assistance.

If you need more information or would like assistance, PJM translation, audio description, or have any other needs that we should know about so that you can feel comfortable, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator:

Anna Rejowska (e-mail: rejowska@cricoteka.pl, tel.: 505 319 882)

There is also the possibility of making an appointment.

For more information on accessibility, visit https://cricoteka.pl/pl/dostepnosc/