wetware
PREMIERE: 17.10.2025
Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
In a stage show that combines stand-up, Elon Musk and the psychopolitics of Byung-Chul Han, Jan Rozman, like many other men in crisis, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In his latest work, Rozman asks himself the question: What is it in me that never makes me feel enough? Will he manage to stop the buzzing he feels in his own body in time, or will the next time he switches on the screen, the unstoppable plunge into the black hole of thinking about the impossibility of (bodily) autonomy begin again?
Jan Rozman’s performance WETWARE questions the autonomy of bodies in surveillance capitalism through a choreographic intervention in a stand-up format.
The surveillance devices we have voluntarily opted for – our smart devices – track our every move, voice, glance and touch. The algorithms that power them have become better at fulfilling our supposed desires than we are. But at the same time, they also fulfil our greatest fears. Technology is a total institution that we carry within us. Psychopolitical reward and control systems are reflected in somatic processes in tissues, organs, the body and not least in the artist’s performance.
In WETWARE, which describes a biological computer based on outdated terms for hardware and software, Rozman puts the relationship between “can” and “must” up for discussion. A loop that leads us to ever more, ever better. He uses humour as one of the most important means of exposing new totalitarianisms and imagines the body as a billion smart devices. These must work together in harmony in order to function effectively. But under the constant electrochemical flow of consumer desires, this body may be less free and in more trouble than it seems at first glance.
Collaborators
Artistic direction, choreography & performance: Jan Rozman
Text: Metod Zupan, Jan Rozman
Dramaturgy: Jaka Smerkolj Simoneti
Video & Laser: Miha Možina
Costume design: Andrej Vrhovnik
Set design: Dan Pikalo
Lighting design: Aljaž Zaletel
Music: Veronika Černe
Graphic design: Gregor Kocjančič
Executive production: Luka T. Zagoričnik
Support
Production: Emanat
Co-production: Cankarjev dom, Pan-Adria
Financial support: City of Ljubljana, Ministry of Culture RS
Jan Rozman's Wetware is the selected production of the Pan-Adria Network in the 2025/26 season. Network partners are: En–Knap Productions, Ljubljana (SI), Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica (SI), Flota Institute, Murska Sobota (SI), Zagreb Dance Center (HR), Mediterranean Dance Center Svetvinčenat (HR), Croatian Cultural Center Rijeka (HR), Artisti Associati, Gorizia (IT), City of Vicenza Municipal Theatre Foundation (IT).