I’ve often resolved to stay strong, but every now again I do it: I order something from Amazon. But at least I’m not alone, Daniel Wetzel does it too, as he revealed in an interview with Deutschlandradio. But while I simply satisfy my superficial shopping needs, he has dug deep into the subject and read books about the e-commerce phenomenon. Package delivery is only the most visible thing that the company, which started out as “Relentless.com” before becoming Amazon, does; more than anything else, the company is the world’s largest cloud provider, where the German police and the FBI, among others, manage their data. For Daniel, it didn’t stop at pure literary research, because he is part of Rimini Protokoll – probably the best-known performance group for documentary theater in this country. The result of his intensive work this time is a circus: “La Danse D’amazon. Ein Fulfillment Circus“. In other words, a circus for consumer criticism? Yes, and for an entertaining way of raising awareness of the fact that with every click we contribute to our digital expropriation and financing Jeff Bezos’ rocket launch pad.
For the play, Rimini Protokoll not only looked at the people who package products at the online retailer – such as those in the freezer room who deliver the ice cream we crave – but also at people who are involved with the company on very different levels. To this end, he cast artists across Europe to explore the whole thing physically, so to speak – in other words, what it means to work between finger scanners, conveyor belts and data verification. The history and world of the circus is as complex as the Amazon company itself and its range of tasks. Rimini Protokoll has also brought in experts to research the history of the circus ring: Mr. and Mrs. Winkler, who run the circus archive of the same name. At the same time, the perspectives of contemporary performers are also reflected: Their takes on dealing with things like foreignness, spectacle, the relationship between humans and animals. So many influences come together in the Fulfilment Circus, which is now performing for four days in the Manege in Mahrzahn. But don’t worry: consumer art in the circus is of course primarily one thing: highly entertaining – and it makes me a little more hesitant to order the next package with a click. And that makes the trip to the circus ring worthwhile, doesn’t it?
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Luna Zscharnt
Volksbühne, Linienstr.227, 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
La danse d’amazon. A Fulfillment Circus from 23.–26.11.2023 from 20h. Tickets are available here.
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