(I will start each of these research diary blog posts by feeling into my body and into the bodies of my guests. Trying to find out about our abilities and to evaluate what able bodies feel like. I am not trying to pretend that I do not have an able body. I am not trying to victimize my body in order to appropriate minority positions. I am very much aware that at this moment my body is more able than most bodies, I am aware of my position of norm and power in this ableist society. Or at least, I am trying to.)

Material research and play with stones
Guest artist: Hoppe Hoppinsky

My body
A few days before we begin our second research session, getting ready to work with stones, my body seems to be anticipating mineral life: having strained my neck in a recent performance, my muscles are turning to stones, petrifying strand by strand, in my neck, my shoulders, my upper back. This is how Lot’s wife must have felt (Why doesn’t she have a name? And why is her sorrow and curiosity being punished? But that’s another story…). When we meet to set up in our research space (thank you VUESCH), I can hardly move my neck, and feel like a rock robot. But do rocks feel pain?

My guest’s body
Hoppe seems quite energized – which is great, considering he will have to do all the heavy lifting. Often it is the other way around when we work together. His body is a lot stronger than mine, maybe 20kg more.

My rocks and stones
In winter 2018, during my residency at Villa Waldberta, I started experimenting with #ablebodiesandstones. So I needed to find big rocks, and invited the other artists of Waldberta to join me on a hike through Kiental up to the „Holy Mountain“ of Andechs. I promised them the famous Andechs beer, if they help me carry rocks from Kiental to my van. So we are now using these „holy“ rocks, as well as lots if „Isarkiesel“ (pebbles from the shores of river Isar).

Research approach
We rig four big rocks on different pulley systems in a row.
And decide to start with material studies – coming from the opposite side than in our last session.
We pull the rocks up and down, we walk on them, hang from them, swing them, and let them crash.
At one point we add white chairs to create different images and to create a contrast between the „natural“ rocks and „artificial“ chairs.

We also hang from the stones by our feet, like standing on a planet down under, like ceiling walkers on little planets. I have been wanting to try this, so I am really happy to finally do it! But I need better technique – both concerning my muscles and the rigging.

Gefördert vom Fonds Darstellende Künste aus Mitteln der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.

Unterstützt vom VUESCH.

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