projects_geste_concept
Research
Prior to the exhibition and event project held at Leipzig’s Opera House, we devoted a series of courses over a period of four semesters to theoretical and practical examinations of the theme of gesture.
In an introductory seminar, cultural philosopher Gesine Märtens confronted us with various theories and concepts of gesture. Jointly with her students, Barbara Büscher prepared a performative and medial lecture on the “Gestures of the Melodramatic”.
Veronika Darian, who has positioned her research activities in the area between the visual and performing arts, investigated the gestures represented and contained in Diego Velasquez’ celebrated painting “Las Meninas“.
Via a reversal of the conventional notion of theatre Guenther Heeg introduced us the theme of shame as a fundamental gesture of theatre.
Susanne Holschbach outlined the thematic field lying between theatrical gesture and photography.
In various workshops and seminars, we were also preoccupied in practical terms, and in a way that crossed boundaries, with working methods, practices, and the enactment of gesture in the performing arts: INSIDEOUT – a multimedia dance theatre production by the Sasha Waltz Company – provided us with an ideal opportunity to approach contemporary dance theatre. Within the stage set we had a chance to familiarise ourselves with this choreographer’s working methods through Karsten Liske.
In a workshop, dancer, choreographer, and yoga instructor Elvira Schurig shared with us her experiences with concrete gestural bodywork, stylisations of everyday movements, and spatial perceptions. During the performance days in Halle, we encountered the work of Isabelle Schad/Good Work Productions, who provided us with insight into her artistic praxis after a performance of the piece “Still Lives”.
In connection with the generation and performance of bodily movements and enactment of actions we also focused on the area between art and fashion: artists Silke Wawro und Dorothee Logen presented their own works works realised by other artists and fashion designers.
An essential focus of interest was on the visual arts of the 1960s and 1970s, primarily the feminist, performative, and critical positions which continue to exercise an influence on numerous contemporary artistic positions. On one excursion, Inka Schube, (Sprengel Museum), introduced students to original pieces by Martha Rosler. Curator Susanne Altmann presented the works of Nancy Spero, Hannah Wilkes and Ana Mendieta. This theme was addressed again in a lecture by Beatrice von Bismarck, which analysed selected performances by Lynda Benglis and Vito Acconci with reference to their codification of body language. In a subsequent lecture, which took up Giorgio Agamben’s definition of gesture.
After investigating diverse transitional fields relating to the performing arts we went on to deal with a broad range of themes, which seemed of interest with regard to their gestural vocabulary. As exemplary of the gesture in sports, filmmaker Christoph Hübner presented his documentary long-term film project “Die Champions“ (The Champions; 1998 – 2003). In order to more closely investigate gesture in political and economic contexts and to work together with him, we invited Jürgen Schulze-Seegers, a highly paid communications trainer who donated a competent and self‑ironic workshop on the rhetoric of gesture. In a lecture by exhibition organizer and author Christoph Doswald offered insight into his comprehensive exhibition and book project: “HAPPY: The Promise of Advertising”. Gathering in opposition to aggressive globalisation and capitalist economisation are new forces of resistance, which provide political gesture with alternative contents. Political scientist Andrea Pabst was preoccupied with the current minting of protest gestures in the context of street fighting.
The lecture series concluded with an invitation to architect Sebastian Helm, whose office was responsible for the then anticipated and in the meantime concluded renovation of Leipzig’s Opera House.
Stations
After the conclusion of the exhibition in Leipzig’s Opera House, we were able to show the project at the locations of our collaborative partners as well – even if now in altered, reduced, or modified form and adapted to the respective institution: an exhibition at the Goethe Institute in Rome which documented the Opera House project linked several selected artworks with documentary photographs, with specially assembled video presentations for two projection surfaces and a stage, and a concert in collaboration with Edison Studio; the exhibition curated by Fotohof Salzburg presented selective photographic and video contributions; a video presentation also found a forum at the Vienna Poetry Academy. Graphics: Simone Müller, Katrin Menne, Eva Winckler, Monique Dickmanns and Peter Mohr, Prof. Stephan Müller (supervision).
Thanks
That this entire project succeeded and was so widely and positively received is owed to many individuals, not least and above all the strong commitment of our students, who alongside their own pieces contributed preparatory work on the exhibition installation and were responsible for the practical details of mounting and disassembly, and who, finally, also participated in the preparation of this publication.
Our sincerest thanks to all of the artists named in the catalogue volume, and to all of the galleries, students, theoreticians, lecturers, partners and sponsors involved in the project. Thanks also to the following individuals and institutions for providing information, assistance, and generous support:
HGB Leipzig: Prof. Joachim Brohm, Marion Sprenger, Franz Alken, Arne Reimer, Diana Wesser, Dorothee Logen, Renee Blümel, Cornelia Friederike Müller, Lisa Gerke, Ludwig Biehl, Louis Tränkner, Wolfgang Alberti, Guenther Beutner, Uwe Klaus, Hajo Keller, Mirko Lehmberg, Frances Kind, Monika Lange, Uwe Wellmann;
Leipzig Opera: Henri and Dani Maier, Halka Wenske, Dr. Christine Villinger, Steffi Weppernig, Steffen Böttcher, Thorsten Haubold, Dieter Mildenberger (workshops);
University of Music and Theatre: Prof. Barbara Büscher, Juliane Männel
Theatre Institute Leipzig: Prof. Guenther Heeg, Dr. Veronika Darian, Martina Bako, Michael Wehren, Katharina Polster
Literature Institute Leipzig: Prof. Michael Lentz
Fotohof Salzburg: Michael Mauracher, Rainer Iglar (photography, Sabine Sattlecker, Karin Peyker, Gabi Wagner;
Edison Studio: Alessandro Cipriani, Luigi Ceccarelli, Mauro Cardi, Fabio Cifariello Ciardi
Goethe Institute Rome: Gabriela Oroz, Irene Isgrò
Vienna Poetry Academy: Christian Ide Hintze, Orhan Kipcak, Harriet Nachtmann
Sponsors and financial backers
Federal Cultural Foundation; Sparkasse, Leipzig; IHK Leipzig; Freundeskreis der HGB Leipzig; Cine Plus, Berlin; Lofft, Leipzig; GfZK, Leipzig; Gothaer Versicherung Generalagentur Peter Wagner; Goethe Institute, Rome; Ministero Beni Culturali, Dipartimento Spettacolo, Italia; the Flemish public authorities
Support from the GfZK Leipzig: Julia Schäfer, Angela Boehnke, from the Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig: Jeannette Stoschek
Thanks also to Wiltrud Stoffregen-Reichelt, Sieglinde Helling, Lukas Lessing, Christine Cavalli
To Nico Reichelt, who assisted us organisationally on many occasions, our thanks for rescuing the opening performance. With a grand gesture, and at the very last moment, he forced the door to the room where the art clothing was stored. Because the lock had stuck, the doorkeeper had been unable to open this door, and the caretaker too was unable to help us in time. Since we were otherwise engaged, we were unable to document the arrival of the police in response to this incident. In the course of renovations carried out after the conclusion of the exhibition, the door was removed and the doorway sealed off. Nico Reichelt later prevailed in a judicial procedure involving accusations of property damage and illegal entry and scratching the (by now already removed) wood.