Unknown Germany (Unbekanntes Deutschland) - 1999-2001 Germany/ Spain / USA
Unknown Germany is an experimental performance installation, combining theatre, clandestine actors, audience provocations with multimedia projection, elctropunk and absurdist dance event.
This multi-modal work is based on sculptural component made from several bags of wet clothing and shoes discarded by refugees crossing the Straits of Gibraltar from Marocco and recovered and recontextualised by Carl and Gesine on Spain’s southern beaches near Tarifa, Andalusia, in 1999. The overall show tells a story about Fortress Europe, racism, whiteness and sexualised violence and its underlying normalised role models.
In a tour de force it pushes the audience to relinquish their shoes, essentially taking them hostage, mixing their belongings with those found on the beach and hoisting them above their heads - a promise and a threat.
A hidden provocateur half way through the show challenges the performers to stop the show and come clean on their white supremacist privilege - the audience is forced to take sides, the hall lights coming on turning their seats into the stage…will they decide for the show to continue or will they shut it down?
In each performance somehow the show continues, carrying the audience’s pity into a runway modeling refugee clothing. Borders are being crossed, in internalised escape and real refuge, a fitted kitchen explodes in a parody of pornographic phantasies, problem zones on body surfaces and in-and-exclusion are being meticulously examined. Audience are advised to avoid the front rows.
Unknown Germany toured six cities in northern Germany in summer 2001, with 6 sold-out shows. An excerpt of the show was performed in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA, at the national underground publishing conference.
hydrax productions presents:
Writers and Artistic Directors - Gesine Knuth and Carl Kuddell
Creative Producer - Carl Kuddell
Lights - Sabine Schmidt
Performers - Gesine Knuth, Carl Kuddell, Carla Interceptor (then know as Björn)
Music and DJ - Ulli Bomans (Schieres, Gladbeck City Bombing - https://gladbeckcitybombing.org)
Support - Rasmus Eulenberger, Andreas Kleemann
Video - Martina
