im*possible bodies #2. An Attempted Deconstruction
In April 2018, we celebrated im*possible bodies – a festival for utopian practices. Artists and activists demanded a new artistic and institutional practice that defies the established canon. Now, with im*possible bodies #2, we seek to concretely deal with our own institution, the Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm itself. A new institutional practice requires prior analysis of our personal present and past! The Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm is housed in the administration building of the former Mouson soap factory. Once upon a time, this company advertised colonial fantasies of purity embodied in the “soft white skin” of women and the Mouson perfumers flew to the Provence to acquire exotic, fragrant lavender blossoms. Today, a cosmopolitan Frankfurt audience comes here to enjoy international performances, theatre and dance, while Mousonturm curators travel halfway around the globe in the service of art. Such continuities of soap factory and Künstlerhaus are no coincidence. The persistence of colonial power structures, the “coloniality of power” (Aníbal Quijano) is inscribed into them both – the promise of purity and the separation from filth in the hygiene product, the de-contextualisation and isolation of practices, movements and discourses in the theatre space. But how can these conventions be pried open? What would this mean curatorially, strategically, in terms of cultural policies and architecture? What could be a possible future institution that implies a participation, collaboration, empowerment, aesthetics, representation and criticism of and by the many?
In January, the black box and the white cube will remain empty! Instead, artists, cultural workers, academics and activists will lead us into hallways, toilets, tech storerooms and the office of the artistic director, to deconstruct the Mousonturm together with us in performances, assemblies, teach-ins and installations and in doing so, help us reflect our own institutional practice. The Initiative frankfurt postcolonial is working with us on dissecting the Mousonturm’s colonial involvements. Julia Wissert is producing a zine as part of a student workshop, while our two residency artists Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill open their studio doors for public rehearsals and exchange. Ulf Otto delves into the meaning of the black box, while Gloria Wekker speaks about white innocence. The musician Bola Ifa calls for radical listening. And there is still more. Between debates, we meet for shared food, drinks and talk in Nuray Demir’s “Club of Possibilities”, a room occupation somewhere between solidarity and (self-)care. Finally, performance and politics also require a good party.
17.1., 7 p.m. Warm Up with open rehearsal of artists in residence Rosana Cade and Katy Baird
8.30 p.m. Der Geheime Salon mit DJ Nigga Fox & Nikki on Fleek
18.1. Program from 7 p.m.
19.1. Program from 10 a.m.
20.1. Program from 11 a.m.
27.1., 18 Uhr zine presentation with Julia Wissert, Patu and students of Hessische Theaterakademie
With regard to better planning and preparation, please register for im*possible bodies #2 via: dramaturgie@mousonturm.de, for childcare via: oezlem.tuerkan@mousonturm.de
All over the building of Mousonturm
Language: German and English with whispered interpretation
Food and childcare free of charge
Organisation: Julian Warner (Hauptaktion) and Elisa Liepsch (Mousonturm)
With: Nuray Demir, Vanessa E. Thompson, Simone Dede Ayivi, Gloria Wekker, Carmen Mörsch, Joana Tischkau, Ulf Otto, Diversity Arts Culture – Berliner Projektbüro für Diversitätsentwicklung, Swoosh Lieu, *foundationClass (Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin), Ogutu Muraya, Moses März, Natalie Bayer, Zinzi Minott, Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja, Elsa M’Bala, Bola Ifa, Julia Wissert, Imad Mustafa, Rosana Cade, Ivor MacAskill, frankfurt postkolonial, Rohit Jain u.a.
Das Projekt „im*possible bodies #2. Versuch einer Dekonstruktion“ wird gefördert durch die Kulturstiftung des Bundes und unterstützt durch die Freunde und Förderer des Mousonturms e.V. (f.f.m). Der „im*possible bodies“-Studierenden-Workshop wird gefördert durch die Hessische Theaterakademie. Die „im*possible bodies #2“-Residenzen finden statt in Kooperation mit dem Fierce Festival Birmingham. Dank an Aaron Wright/Fierce Festival.
