“There is no grace based solely on physical qualities; only the rhythm of the soul, which causes the body to vibrate, is the true source of grace.” F. Wildung, Olympiade Magazine no. 2, August 1924
In the summer of 1925, trains from all over Europe arrived in Frankfurt with thousands of workers – bodies ready to train, perform and move together. To mark its 100th anniversary, Public Movement explores the idea of the 1st International Workers' Olympics: the vision of a society striving for equality, post-national community and peace. This was and is an invitation to men and women to embody a cultural and political message. How do these values materialise in the body? How can they be made real in today's world?
“As One” is both an homage and an exploration; a public exercise in real time, an invitation to simultaneously commemorate and to doubt. The performance arises from the need to come together: to train a flexible society with an acrobatic mind; agile, balanced and prepared for upcoming challenges. During the performance, six members of Public Movement will explore the intersections of strength and vulnerability, discipline and obedience, play and rivalry, ideology and its transmission through the body.
