Prosodia

PROSODIA
by Nicoline van Harskamp

The performance work Prosodia posits a prosodic form for AI-generated voices, or synthetic speech, that reflects the rhythmic, formulaic nature of human storytelling, present in ancient epic poetry as much as in contemporary influencer content. A ‘synthetic actress’ named Prosodia, together with two human actresses, a stage director and a traditional musician, are rehearsing a stage adaptation of an old epic story. Prosodia’s inability to cry brings technical and artistic difficulties, because all epic stories end in tears. The cast finds a solution in one of Prosodia’s oldest features.

They reflect on the technologies behind their skills, that is, the three generations of performed, artificial language: ‘tale-singing’, acting, and synthetic speech. In the process, it breaks down some of the myths around AI that have been spread by its for-profit developers. Central to the work is the Song of Prosodia, or the ‘epic synthetic’, performed by human and synthetic song, accompanied live with the strings of an oud.

www.prosodia.site

Written and directed by Nicoline van Harskamp 

Original music composition, oud and vocals by Eleni Mik

Performed by  Ayisha Siddiqi, Mehrnoush Rahmani and Lidewij Mahler

Supported by the Creative Industries Fund, Netherlands

Nicoline van Harskamp (1975) is a visual artist who considers acts of language and solidarity. All her works have a performative quality, with spoken language at their core. They take the form of live staging, video, installations, and publications. Her working process is characterized by the transformation of spoken to written language, and vice versa. She has exhibited her videos and installation works internationally, such as at Kadist Foundation in Paris, Edith-Russ-Haus in Oldenburg, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, HKW in Berlin, MUAC in Mexico City, Ellen Art Gallery in Montréal, Manifesta 9, and the biennials of Gothenburg, Limerick, Sydney, and Taipei. Nicoline van Harskamp is a professor for performative art at the Kunstakademie Münster.

Prosodia premiered at the Athens Epidaurus Festival 2026. Other live works were staged, among other places, at MuHKA in Antwerp, Tate Modern in London, KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, New Museum in New York, Arnolfini in Bristol, Urbane Künste Ruhr in Oberhausen, steirischer herbst in Graz, Project Arts Centre in Dublin, Serralves Museum in Porto, and Kaaitheater in Brussels.

www.vanharskamp.net