Re:construction

Re:construction uses videos, language, soundscapes, performative fragments and interactions to create a scenery that invites visitors to project their very own narratives. Speechlessness occurs whenever we experience something beyond mere rationality, beyond our control: fear, sexuality, a near-death experience, an accident, a loss or music. Even if language is insufficient to grasp these experiences, our perception cannot ignore them.

Type of Show: Performative Multimedia Installation
Duration: Flexible. The exhibition can run continuously, the performative part of the exhibition takes 1h if performed in one piece. Alternatively, it can be broken down in pieces to be performed over an extended period of time.
Age Rating: 12+
Spoken Language: English

Trailer

Past dates

Mon 19 – Wed 21 October 2020
20:00 // ALL IN Symposium
Venue: Alte Feuerwache, Melchiorstraße 3, 50670 Cologne

Fri 15 – Sun 17 May 2020
20:00 // Sommerblut Kulturfestival
Venue: Alte Feuerwache, Melchiorstraße 3, 50670 Cologne
+++CANCELLED due to CORONAVIRUS+++

Wed 30 October 2019
12:30 – 14:00 // Staatenhaus Oper Köln
Venue: Rheinpark 1, 50679 Cologne, Germany

Sun 8 September 2019 // Premiere
20:00 // Alternative Stage Greek National Opera
Venue: Stravros Niarchos Cultural Center, 364 Syggrou Avenue Athens, Greece

Concept & Direction: Nikolas Jürgens (DE) & Nils Rottgardt (DE) – Performers: Lucy Wilke (DE) & Max Greyson (BE) –Audio Concept & Audio Design: Markus Brachtendorf (DE) – Artistic Collaboration: Bernard Mescherowsky (DE) – Text: Max Greyson (BE), Nikolas Jürgens (DE), Nils Rottgardt (DE), Lucy Wilke (DE) – Video Performers: Tamara Aydinyan (AM), Sarena Bockers (DE), Dodzi Dougban (DE), Andrea Eberl (DE), Max Greyson, Sabine Lindlar (DE), Bernard Mescherowsky, Wagner Moreira (DE), Aristide Rontini (IT), Max Schweder (DE), Filippos Zoukas (GR) – Video Performer International Sign Language: Rafael Grombelka (DE) – Video Performer Visual Vernacular: Eyk Kauly (DE) – Camera: Bernard Mescherowsky (DE) – Speakers: Emma Gilkinson (NZ), Jeremy Nicholl (UK), Tamara Aydinyan (AM), Steffen Reuber (DE) – VFX Artist: Tim Stadie (DE) – Costume & Stage Design: Sarah Haas (DE) – Advisor for the Visually Impaired Audience: Franziska Wilke (DE) – Creative Producer: Lisette Reuter (DE)

The limitation of language one feels when facing an extreme emotional experience is a phenomenon common to all human beings, irrespective of linguistic means and physical disabilities. With Re:construction this common dilemma becomes the starting point for an equal creative quest for alternatives to verbalisation.
Re:construction is designed as a scenery that deliberately denies the visitors any guidance or chronology in which to view the visual, audio and performance fragments of the exhibition. The visitors are left to their own devices to build their very own narratives, to seek and open up to an individual emotional access. Once in a while, they come across points of access that, however, remain inaccessible, that constitute barriers (a panel in Braille, uncommented videos in international sign language, a video of poetic sign language Visual Vernacular, a video without audio, text etc.). This raises awareness for the fact that each human being, whether with or without disabilities, can face barriers in directly accessing visual, audio or performance works.

In particular for blind visitors, there are several audio descriptions that often take an independent and nearly poetic position, the aesthetics of which always feeds on the work of art itself. Any spoken language is English. Moreover, the floor is equipped with a tactile guidance system that allows blind visitors to “feel” their way through the exhibition by means of a cane.
At the same time, the exhibition acts as a scenography through which the performative level of Re:construction moves. The Performance is a relaxed Performance.

• Portfolio Performance (PDF)
• Technical Rider Performance (PDF)