Boiler Room
Generation Y

Ksenija Martinović

What could the breaking point of music be in a border zone of war, loneliness or resistance?
Boiler Room - Generation Y, winner of the Special Mention at the 2021 Premio Scenario, is a site-specific sound performance by Serbian-born actress and author Ksenija Martinović. It is a place of pulsating lights, inviting anyone to follow its movement. Created in 2021, Boiler Room – Generation Y bypasses theatre in search of other imaginaries to foster cultural recognition, citizenship, and the fragilities of the new generations. It starts with the personal story of Palestinian DJ Sama' Abdulhadi, who, thanks to Boiler Room, went viral and became known worldwide as 'The Palestinian Techno Queen'. Sama' also conveys a political message, raising questions about an entire generation. Generation Y, born amid the crisis of modernity and the death of ideologies, simply wants to 'dance, not think'.

"The project stems from an intimate and deep need to talk about my generation, my uncertainty about how to be in the world, and my shame about our situation".
“I wanted to explore the world of techno music, which is part of my biography. I spent my adolescence in the clubs of the Belgrade Underground. I started with interviews, which then became an integral part of the performance. Boiler Room – Generation Y is a sound installation composed of voice messages sent to me during the research period. Friends and strangers answered questions such as: What is techno music to you? What do you think about your generation?
The self-telling Generation Y. Without them, the text of Boiler Room - Generation Y would not exist.
Ksenija Martinović

"Generation Y", also known as "Millennials", is the main subject of this performance. Sociologists define the generation born between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s as lazy, narcissistic, superficial, individualistic and self-centred.
Sociologists have been studying the 'Millennials' phenomenon for at least ten years. They are young people who grew up without the threat of the Cold War and are very familiar with digital technology. They are the first generation to grow up with the World Wide Web, and they have shared habits and ways of thinking regardless of where in the world they live.

Starting with texts by sociologists such as Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Howe, Neil, Strauss, my research focuses on the theories of Mark Fisher, a philosopher who died prematurely in 2016. In his book Capitalist Realism, Fisher analyses contemporary society, with young millennials as the protagonists. He provides plausible explanations for certain behaviours and the precarious situation of today's 30-year-olds. Taking its cue from Fisher's socio-political analysis, the Boiler Room - Generation Y project focuses on his definition of depressive hedonism. In an increasingly technological society where everything is 'just a click away', Boiler Room is the perfect metaphor.

Ksenija Martinović is a performer, author and director who was born in Belgrade, Serbia. She trained at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art and the Nico Pepe Civic Academy of Dramatic Art. She is part of the ‘Centro Teatrale Santa Cristina’ and participated in the ERT Advanced Training Course with the show Universo Bolano, directed by Ivica Buljan. She also participated in the 2019 Ecole des Maîtres directed by Angelica Liddell with the project History of madness in the classical age.
After finishing her studies, she began her own creative journey in addition to pursuing an acting career. Her work explores the deep connection between her homeland and Europe. Her debut works as an author and performer are Diario di una casalinga serba, directed by Fiona Sansone and winner of the Young Theatre Realities Award, and Mileva, created with dramaturg Federico Bellini and dancer Mattia Cason. Both were produced by the CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The performance Boiler Room - Generation Y won the Special Jury Mention at the Premio Scenario 2021.
Her performance Tesla, created together with playwright Federico Bellini, won the Adelaide Ristori Prize for Best Artist at the Mittelfest 2023 festival and was produced by CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del FVG in co-production with Teatro Contrada of Trieste.
Along the way, she has collaborated with artists including Sergio Blanco, Lucia Calamaro, Federico Bellini, Angelica Liddell, Ivica Buljan, Chiara Guidi, Anna Julie Stanzak, Marleen Scholten, Alessio Maria Romano, and many others.

Sama' Abdulhadi is the first Palestinian DJ to gain international recognition. She began her career in Beirut, defining her style as "Berlin techno, perceived in a Lebanese way". In 2018, she played her first Boiler Room in Ramallah. Her set received over 11 million views, an achievement that very few DJs have attained, and an even more impressive feat for a virtually unknown Palestinian at the time. Today, she is one of the world's most interesting DJs and a courageous activist. She has performed at renowned festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Fusion, Circoloco, Lost Village, Primavera, the AVA Festival in Belfast, and Warung in Brazil, as well as the legendary Dance Arena at the Exit Festival in Serbia.

Running time: 60 minutes