Icarus

Daedalus is the prototypical inventor enveloped by the consequences of his invention. He builds modern weapons for King Minos that shorten wars but result in more deaths. For Minos’s wife Pasiphaë he builds a hollow cow which she uses to mate with Poseidon’s bull, later giving birth to the Minotaur. Half-human, half animal, the Minotaur is imprisoned by Daedelus in a labyrinth that becomes a tomb for countless innocent people. Yet Daedalus is also responsible for the death of his son Icarus, who falls from the sky in a flying machine built by his father.

Classical writings by Homer, Virgil and Ovid about the myth of Daedalus and Icarus have lost none of their appeal and relevance in the present day, exploring issues such as the impulse to transgress limits, the uncompromising need for renewal and faith in the blessings of technology without considering the risks and consequences. Dotted with ironic pointers toward the present day (including smartphones), John von Düffel’s reworking of this classic story focuses on the dialectic of “progress” and the question of whether all human achievements are legitimate and ethically acceptable.