A Theatrical Presentation in Several Acts
The moral concepts of an alleged majority society are strengthened by collective identities that are often established on the basis of exclusion. Again and again, the call for the preservation of all things individual and traditional proves itself to be effective on a massive scale. However, it results in the blanking out of certain dynamics and changes that influence individuals, societies, cultures and economies. This conceals the fact that it is vital to modify the relationship between subject, power and gender, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed.
Travesty for Advanced Performers goes against static and one-dimensional life concepts and society models. The project is conceived as a series of metamorphoses, concentrating on themes that have been adopted and occupied by neo-conservative and populist tendencies. For example the migration of people who are seen as representing a threat to our “own” values and resources, without reflecting upon the processes of exchange and reciprocal influence that have evolved over centuries. Or homosexuality, which is constantly refuted for biological, reproductive and ethical reasons, in an attempt to build “protective walls” of normality around family, cultural and national issues.
The project was devised within the context of inclusion/exclusion on both a European and International level, including discussions on immigration debates and violence against women, migrants and homosexuals. It investigates (hetero-) normative forms of action and considerations on the subject of majorities and minorities, with the aim of introducing a new dynamic to set patterns of social thought.
A combination of exhibition space and stage will be set up in the new building of the GfZK, designed to accommodate individual presentations, dance performances, lectures and workshops. Works of art will be presented for varying lengths of time and in changing constellations, and accompanying events will be carried out to provide new perspectives. A dramaturgy will be created in cooperation with the authoress and choreographer Heike Hennig, with the aim of scenically formulating aspects of transformation such as self-image and the perception of others or individual and collective identities. In this way, the term “travesty” refers to the specific form of theatre as well as to identities and manifestations in a state of flux.
Travesty for Advanced Performers reflects on the workings of the art institution compared to social and mainstream media. Which pieces of information are opinion-forming, at what frequency and in which way do they reach people, in what form are they processed? Can the institution open up and slip into the role of the individuals for whom changes and multiple identities produce a sense of insecurity, fear and resentment? Is it possible to step outside of the “protected area” of art and confront these obstacles?
Following Travesty for Advanced Performers a publication in form of a visual diary will be published.
