Moqueca, which originated in northern Brazil, is considered the country’s national dish. For the Brazilian-German artist duo Po:era, it’s emblematic of the cultures, beliefs and ideas that have been consumed by Christianity, capitalism and industrial development and continue to be dominated by them. The traditional stew – whose ingredients vary from region to region – is both the title and the starting point of an audio walk through Mitte, which ends with a shared Moqueca meal at Rosenthaler Platz. This is where the Acker Stadt Palast has been located for ten years now: In the 1990s, cultural activists occupied the former chocolate factory, and after years of struggle, with the help of the Berlin Senate, a permanent venue was established in 2012 – and with it a space for the independent scene, where contemporary meets experimental theater, newcomers meet established artists, music and dance meet the stage. Reason enough to celebrate: after almost three years of hiatus due to the pandemic, Público Festival (until 18.12.2022) will focus on just that. The program includes projects that tune the audience into all their senses, turning them into active participants.
For the #share Interferenz series, one performer and one composer will meet on blind dates over six evenings, during which the audience will act as choir and conductor at the same time. With Tonight, lights out! director and performer David Weber-Krebs explores the sense of community and solidarity that can emerge in a fixed moment: Wired with light bulbs, he prepares his audience – borrowing from a Bild article from 2007 in which readers were called upon to protest together against climate change – for the moment when everyone turns off the lights in the hall at the same time. Katharina von Wilcke’s Language & Art Lovers turns the title into a manifesto: After attending the performance, participants with different language backgrounds are brought together in tandem pairs to talk about what they have seen in German, English, Portuguese and Spanish. It runs for ten days – enough time to break through the fourth wall.
Text: Hanna Komornitzyk / Photos: Gianluca la Bruna & Nadia Zgank / Graphic: Público Festival & Grupppo
Público Festival (runs until 18.12.2022) at Acker Stadt Palast, Ackerstr.169/170, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
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