RHYTHMS OF LIVING
– A WALK-IN OPERA
Performances on 15 and 16 July 2023 each at 2pm and 4:30pm
This project was funded by the Bezirkskulturfonds Lichtenberg
Photography and libretto design: Laure Catugier
Music: Felipe Vaz
Choreography and dance performance: Nicole Michalla and Annekatrin Kiesel
Libretto text: Malgorzata Anna Jedrzejczyk
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Trailer: https://vimeo.com/921604905
Project page: https://rhythmsofliving.weebly.com/
RHYTHMS OF LIVING is a performative walk through the Weitlingkiez neighbourhood in Berlin-Lichtenberg, that introduces the audience to the special characteristics of modernist architecture. The format of the walk-in opera consists of a guided tour that combines photography, algorithmic music and contemporary dance, accompanied by a libretto (booklet). Laure Catugier's photographs of architectural details are the basis of Felipe Vaz's compositions. Both are incorporated into the choreography and performance by Nicole Michalla and Annekatrin Kiesel.
The Weitling neighbourhood in Berlin-Lichtenberg is home to several Berlin Modernist housing complexes, especially those of the Neues Bauen movement, which increasingly raised questions about the social aspects of large-scale housing construction. What is it like to live there today - 100 years later?​​
Photos: Laure Catugier
Laure Catugier has captured details of selected buildings in her photographs. Felipe Vaz used a selection of these photographs to develop graphic scores, which he used to compose experimental algorithmic music.
The two choreographers built on Catugier's and Vaz's work as a further layer. Architectural and musical patterns were used to (de)construct (frictional) rhythms between image, music and movement. The duo worked with architectural elements such as façades, courtyards, balconies and windows in a playful, yet abstract and formalistic way. The result is a choreographed score that attempts to soften rigid structures in order to convey the impression of ‘malleable’ architecture.
The result is a constantly changing, sometimes overlapping performance between walking, lecture, music and dance. During the tour, the audience listened to the respective tracks via synchronised headphones. The fusion of art forms explains the labeling of the artistic format as a walk-in opera – a walk-in network of rhythmic interdependencies that symbolises the social relations within the housing complexes.
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​How does the surrounding architecture influence us? How can we develop a new perception of public spaces and make them our own to a certain extent? And how can we look at the often overlooked uniqueness of the housing estates of the 20/30s from new angles? How can we revitalise the spirit of Neues Bauen as a call for affordable housing for all in times of crisis - in times when the usual rhythms have shifted?​