ÜBUNG/EXERCISE No. 8 – Gender Render Glacier
(2015)

The performance series "ÜBUNG/EXERCISE No. 1 to 8" refers to the word 'practice'. In its etymological origin, it means, among other things, "to cultivate; to cherish, care for; to exercise, put into practice", also "to cultivate land; to have the habit of doing something specific; to cultivate; to worship". The performance asks whether performance has anything to do with practicing. It negotiates how we orient ourselves in space and in relation to the perception of gender. For what are performers and spectators, how do they relate to each other and how do they act in this situation, what themes come to life?

I developed the performance work "ÜBUNG/EXERCISE No. 8" during a residency in Iceland. A previous script and experiences in the landscape in Iceland are the starting point for the new script that I developed for the festival in Montreal.

Giving up control, both me as a performer: face and eyes are covered by a hood with a zipper, I let the audience navigate me to my performance material, describing to them one by one where the material can be found in the room, first 3 tables then 1 piece of driftwood and 2 lava stones from Iceland, later 1 pair of black soccer shoes and 1 beige cardboard panel with written images, then 1 box filled with approx. 220 strips of paper with names of glaciers in Iceland, Canada and Switzerland.
Handing over control of a different kind to the audience: they are asked to part with their iPhones during the performance, place them on the three long tables, which I then drag 'blindly' across the floor and move to other places. Finally, I peel myself out of my hooded jacket and jeans, revealing a body drawing with black 'meridian stripes' underneath, and sing "Let's dance", improvised and more verbose than the original lyrics of David Bowie's song. Last but not least, I give each performer their iPhone back.