8 July–13 August 2017
Opening: 7 July 2017

Event Series
Publication

Location(s):
nGbK, Oranienstraße 25

Participants

Gili BenZvi, Alexandre Chardaire, Martin Ertl, Ulrike Ertl, Tina-Marie Friedrich, Ulrike Fruhtrunk, G-bliss productions, Angela Grasser, Anne Harnischmacher, Katrin Heidorn, Pip Hill, Irene Hoppenberg, Mirjam Junker, Peter Kisur, Gerda Klingenböck, Peter Kozek, Christine Kriegerowski, Nadja Kurtz, Hila Lahav, Sabine Marte, Liv Rolf Mertz, Keren Ida Nathan, Off, Johanna Olausson, Eduard Mont de Palol, David Permantier-Kunstwerkstatt der Lebenshilfe, rasch und sch’nell, Juli Saragosa, Skadi Sarnoch, Anna Schmidt, Team of Love, The Wedding Band, Ruth Waldeyer, Maya Weinberg, William Locke Wheeler, Wilder than Some Productions, Hildegard Wittur, Sabe Wunsch

Project group

Claudia Burbaum, Martin Ertl, Tina-Marie Friedrich, Christine Kriegerowski, Keren Ida Nathan

The Swan Song Operetta was developed and performed over eight years. This summer it will flower into its unabridged self in the nGbK exhibition space. All four acts of the operetta will be rehearsed publicly – as well as performed, exhibited and reflected. It’s about training coloratura against injustice and writing scores for solidarity. During the opening hours the exhibition space is fully accessible to the public, visitors are invited to join workshops and rehearsals for choir as well as sit at the bar and find out about the history and progress of the Swan Song.

Hannah loves Hilaria … against an iridescent backdrop of ferns, otherness, gossip, opulence, poverty, renovation, eviction, demos, trials, feuds and friendship.
The Swan Song is the story of two families; the Bar and the Gallery, and their struggle to survive great economic changes spurred by gentrification and ‘innovation’, forcing them to test their commitment to their community and their common survival. Collaboration and independent ambitions clash! Love crosses boundaries of ideology and sidewalks. Plants explode all over a city grappling with urban glorification and decay. The Swan Song asks, is friendship the best insurance? Is Art the right medicine? And it answers with a moody melody… and a grand exit!

The Score follows the classical Operetta structure while integrating elements of Pop music, sound installation and improvised music.

A songbook was published by nGbK:
ISBN 9783938515693

Note: During the project there was a case of online data abuse. Names of participating artists can appear on defamatory websites without permission.

Program:

Sunday, 9 July 2017, 12–16h
Workshop: Sunday painting for Hobbes
Painting and drawing open air in Kreuzberg

Wednesday–Friday, 12–14 July 2017, 18–20h
Join-in choir rehearsals

Saturday, 15 July, 19h
Show: Operetta Act 1

Sunday, 16 July 2017, 12–16h
Workshop: Sunday painting for Hobbes
Painting and drawing open air in Kreuzberg

Monday, 17 July 2017, 11–15h
Workshop: Gestures and facial expressions with Anne Harnischmacher. The clown will show us how to express ourselves without having to put everything into words.

Wednesday–Friday, 19–21 July 2017, 18–20h
Join-in choir rehearsals

Saturday, 22 July 2017, 16-19h
CANCELLED
Team of Love: Choreography against war
Immigration was denied for Team of Love from South-Sudan. Therefore the workshop had to be canceled. See also the press text about the protest.