Project 52° 30’ 31.47” N 13° 23’ 04.79” E elev 37 m

'Home' the variable architecture of multiple and evolutive relationships of the individual/collective and environment/territory.

place of residence, country of origin, place of birth, country of citizenship, continent of origin, city of attachment, country of adoption, place of exile, colonial motherland, place of burial,  spiritual motherland, place of work, mother nation, ancestral origin, online social network, favourite neighbourhood, football team, local church, political party…

Simple geo-location data or profound source of cultural, religious, ideologic and political identification the notion of home invokes and projects a multitude of physical and sentimental attachments.

Is it the symbol of comfort, security and protection in capital economies? Is it the inspiration for patriotism and nationhood in modern democracies? Is it the quest for spiritual ideals for the religious? Is it the mark of authenticity and genuine belonging? Is it the sense of ownership and possessiveness that inspire fear and hate, chauvinism and forms of extremism? Is it the birthplace of xenophobia and terrorism?

For the traditionally nomadic populations of east Africa the notion of home does not refer to fixed or permanent location. As he moves from place to place in response to seasonal fluctuations the nomad builds and rebuilds his home. For him home is the extended architecture on which relations with the other and interactions with the environment are articulated. I’m interested in the sense of territorial awareness as the starting point for this project.

'Ifen comes from Taiwan, works in Bremen, lives in Essen, speaks mandarin & german. At the olympics they introduced Taiwan as chinese Taipei. Ifen insists she is not chinese taipei, she is Taiwanese – home becomes political statement…' Virginia is Spanish but ‘sí, pero primero catalán …'

Coming from africa, europe & asia the artists in this project originate from diverse yet, in todays global connectedness, ultimately convergent ‘homes’. They constitute territories in transgression. As they interact in space the performers constantly generate cumulative geo-location data, crossing ‘biographies of home, of lived experience’, putting into question notions of permanence or fixed belonging.

Cast: Blenard Azizaj, I-Fen Lin, Ibramhima Biaye, Ida Faho, Kossi Sébastien Aholou-Wokawui, Kokou Gbakenou, Robert Bell, Serge Nepke, Virginia Gimeno Folgado

Sound: Michaël Grébil

Lights: Frauke Richter

Costume: Uta Heiseke