An intimate documentary performance for ten to fourteen guests
around a table about a queer couple, travelling through
its family histories, to write its own story. Getting in touch with ancestors
who can only be, who they want to be, when they are not at the place
where they believe they would belong to.
Mainly in English, partly in German and Spanish
Further versions:
Mainly in German, partly in English and Spanish
Mainly in Spanish, partly in English and German
Mainly in English and Italian, partly in German and Spanish
Description
The audience is welcomed to their place at the table where photos, maps, documents and a song book are scattered and mate tea is being served. With their documentary performance On the first night we looked at maps – Los Alemanes del Volga the Argentinean-German artist couple Federico & Wenzel Vöcks de Schwindt invite their audience on both a historical and biographical journey.
Following the Volga Germans who emigrated in the 18th century, it traces their passage from the German region of Hesse to Russia, and a hundred years later as they continued their path to the Americas. The performers confront themselves with fragments of past migration and the contradictions of family identity in an always shifting narrative of a couple searching for a queer heritage – and for a homeland that perhaps never existed.
Beschreibung
Das Publikum ist eingeladen, an einem Tisch Platz zu nehmen, auf dem Fotos, Landkarten, Dokumente und ein Gesangbuch liegen, Mate-Tee wird gereicht. Das argentinisch-deutsche Künstlerpaar Federico & Wenzel Vöcks de Schwindt lädt mit seiner dokumentarischen Performance On the first night we looked at maps – Los Alemanes del Volga zu einer gleichermaßen biografischen wie historischen Spurensuche ein.
Den Fährten der Wolgadeutschen folgend, die im 18. Jahrhundert aus dem Hessischen nach Russland auswanderten und 100 Jahre später ihren Weg auf dem amerikanischen Kontinent fortsetzten, setzen sich die Performer mit vergangener Migration und den Widersprüchen familiärer Identität auseinander – im fluiden Erzählfluss eines Paares auf der Suche nach einem “Queer Heritage“ und einer Heimat, die nie existierte.
Research, Text & Performance Federico & Wenzel Vöcks de Schwindt
A production by Vöcks de Schwindt in cooperation with TATWERK | Performative Forschung.
2019 at TATWERK | Performative Forschung in Berlin
Photos: Jana Kießer
2021 at TD Berlin (Pandemic version)
Photos: Jana Kießer
2021 on the theatre vessel of WUK Theater Quartier in Halle/Saale
Photos: Patrick Jungwirth
2022 at Altofest in Naples (Italy)
Photos: Vicky Solli
Show history
2023 // Argentina Premiere // El Galpón de Guevara //Buenos Aires (Argentina)6
2023 // 50th Performance // LICHTHOF Theater // Hamburg (Germany)5
2022 // Verso Sud // Corato, Bari (Italy)
2022 // ZeitZeug Festival // Bochum
2022 // Altofest // Valletta (Malta)
2022 // Italy Premiere // Altofest // Naples (Italy)4
2021 // Kultursommer 2021 // Werk4 // Magdeburg
2021 // WUK Theater Quartier // Halle/Saale
2021 // Revival // TD Berlin // Berlin3
2020// Szenario – Festival für Darstellende Künste // Lüneburg
2020 // Festival Opera Prima // Rovigo (Italy) // Cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2020 // FURORE – International festival for young theatre // Ludwigsburg // Cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic2
2020 // Performing Arts Festival Berlin 2020 // Selected for the Newcomer’s Platform Introducing… // Theaterdiscounter // Berlin // Cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic1
2020 // TATWERK | Performative Forschung // Berlin
2019 // TATWERK | Performative Forschung // Berlin
7th September 2019 // Premiere // TATWERK | Performative Forschung // Berlin
1 During the festival’s online edition Performing Arts Festival Berlin@home a video recording of the performance was available on demand in the festival’s Digital Showroom. // Based on the performance the festival invited us to create Instructions for those at home #1.
2 Instead of the analogue festival we were invited to participate in the festival’s online edition as speakers in two online discussions on ‚Digital Theatre – Void and Vision‘ as well as with a video statement.
3 The revival in cooperation with TD Berlin, funded by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa des Landes Berlin. Media partner is taz.die tageszeitung.
4 The participation at Altofest 2022 was made possible thanks to the auspices of the Goethe-Institut Neapel.
5 The guest performances were realised by the Netzwerk Freier Theater – this project is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media within the program „Verbindungen fördern“ by the Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste e.V.
6 The guest performances are funded by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt des Landes Berlin.
This production is available for touring. For further information please contact us.