In the beginning was the fence

A performative cartography of contemporary walls
Photo: Tommy Hetzel
By what about: fuego
THEATRE
In German
Depot 2
Duration:
1 hour 30 minutes • no intermission
Premiere:
01 September 2023
More than thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we live in an interconnected, globalised world where freedom of travel and trade are emphasised. At the same time, the construction of walls and border fortifications are increasing worldwide. The list of countries and places currently trying to demarcate themselves with walls and security fences is long. Walls stage political sovereignty and nation-state unity. They demonstrate security and protection for the population. But at the same time, they promote and reproduce exploitation, disempowerment, and dispossession. Thousands of people lose their lives every day trying to cross borders. In many places, agricultural land and orchards are carved up, transportation routes are disrupted, and entire neighborhoods are crisscrossed by a complex network of dividing lines determining the realities of the people who live there.

Using theatrical means, the collective what about: fuego sketches a critical cartography of contemporary walls, explores their relationships and contradictions, and speculates on possible imaginary landscapes.
Concept & piece development: what about: fuego
director: María F. Giacaman
text: María F. Giacaman • Miriam Bini Schmidt
Scenography & Costumes: Linda Bühlmann
Outside Eye: Miriam Bini Schmidt
Lighting & video design: Friederike Hänsel
Sounddesign: Juan Giacaman
Lighting: Michael Frank