BITTE DREHT MICH JETZT UM, AUF DIESER SEITE BIN ICH SCHON GAR!

performance with Anton Stammsen and Jonathan Ungemach, 2022

Dealing with the lasting influence (pre-)industrial towns have on the lives, working and living conditions of their inhabitants, “Bitte dreht mich jetzt um, auf dieser Seite bin ich schon gar!” took place in the former blooming textile hub of Wuppertal. The immersive 5h fictional performance was held in an old wine factory, staged as an interim storage facility and comprised singular works by the three artists, woven into the setting as family heirlooms of the character Annika von der Heydt. Nesting in the giant factory, the set-up mimicked an open world computer game and invited the viewers to simultaneously explore the historical building.

The performance begins with Annika returning from her modern life in Vienna to deal with the left overs of her family’s inheritance, left currently in the hands of a caretaker. Her family’s priest, from one of the numerous free churches based in Wuppertal, arrives to offer her spiritual guidance and aid her in making the arrangements.

The fictional characters merged real life people and stories from historical Wuppertal and acted as NPCs when not aiding the main story line. The performance touches on topics like the town's colonial heritage, classistic city planning, civic and social commitment of its citizens as well as its notorious mysticism. The evening ended with a song by Stammtisch Flutwelle and found all characters before an ultimate decision, a question with a double-bind: Is this our legacy?

Supported by Bergischer Kulturfonds