Gesellschaftsspiele: The Art of Assembly
A series by Florian Malzacher & brut Wien | Since 2021
Whether in Tunis, Cairo, Madrid, or Lisbon, in Athens, New York, London, or Istanbul, in post-Fukushima Tokyo, in the midst of Niemeyer’s iconic parliamentary architecture in Brasilia, under the umbrellas of Hong Kong, or on the streets of Minneapolis: social and political movements of recent years have often been characterised by their search for alternative forms of gathering, of arguing and making decisions, of negotiating community and society. The potential of these assemblies lies in more than just the demands they put forward; many of them change reality merely by practicing radical models of democracy.
The arts have also shown a renewed interest in concepts of gathering and creating public spheres in which society is not only mirrored but constantly tried out, performed, tested, reimagined, or even reinvented. There are court hearings on artistic freedom, religion, and censorship; tribunals on exploitation and violence; summits on climate change or cultural policy; parliaments allowing those who are usually silenced to speak... Theatre in particular has become a stage for assemblies on the fine line between art and reality, a democratic arena of radical imagination.
But what is the future this concept of gathering has ahead of it after months in a state of emergency that has thrown pretty much all areas of social life out of step? Gesellschaftsspiele: The Art of Assembly brings together protagonists from various fields of art, politics and theory to speculate on the future of assembly in a time of experiencing that nothing is certain – a time in which every form of physical togetherness has become precarious.
With contributions by Aziz Al-Azmeh, Ahmed Al-Nawas, andcompany&Co., Athena Athanasiou, Marco Baravalle, Anna Clara Basilicò / Rise Up For Climate Justice, Glenn Bech, Merve Bedir, Kent Bye, Z. Blace, Claire Bishop, Claudia Bosse, Tania Bruguera, Judith Butler, Teodor Celakoski, Fabio Cervi / Earshot, Phil Collins, Jodi Dean,Amelie Deuflhard, Die Vielen, Radha D’Souza, Mette Edvardsen, Didier Eribon, Marcelo Expósito, Caitlin Fisher, Benjamin Foerster-Baldenius / raumlaborberlin, Oliver Frljić, Michael Gabriel, Nuría Güell, Anne Hahn, Max Haiven, Michael Hardt, Satu Herrala, Miriam Ibrahim, Lisa Ito-Tapang / Concerned Artists of the Philippines, Edit Kaldor, Wolfgang Kaleck, Atiyyah Khan, Xenia Koghilaki, jaamil olawale kosoko,Thomas Krüger, Brandon LaBelle, Pedro Lasch, Oliver Marchart, Renzo Martens, Markus Miessen, Alia Mossallam, Chantal Mouffe, David Mulder van der Vegt, Edson Krenak Naknanuk, Antonio Negri, Susan Neiman, Ingo Niermann / Army of Love, Ahmet Öğüt, Marina Otero Verzier, Sibylle Peters, Sahar Rahimi, Julia Ramírez-Blanco, Milo Rau, Oliver Ressler, Erena Rangimarie Omaki Ransfield Rhöse,Kathrin Röggla, Sarah Rothberg, Reyhan Şahin aka Lady Bitch Ray, Madlyn Sauer, School of Resistance,Tino Sehgal, Jonas Staal, Corina Stan, Nora Sternfeld, The Church of Stop Shopping, The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination (Labofii), Lotte van den Berg, Eva von Redecker, Elisabeth von Samsonow,Joanna Warsza, Sarah Waterfeld / Staub zu Glitzer, Julia Wissert, Dana Yahalomi / Public Movement and Ann Liv Young
Hosted by Florian Malzacher
Events
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXX
The Condition of No. What are the Limits?
with Aziz Al-Azmeh & Susan Neiman
hosted by Florian Malzacher
03.05.2025, 19:00, Villa Stuck, Munich/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXIX
The Right to Flow
Water as Source of Life, Conflict, and Legal Utopias
with Edson Krenak Naknanuk, Erena Rangimarie Omaki Ransfield Rhöse, Kathrin Röggla & Elisabeth von Samsonow
hosted by Florian Malzacher
21.09.2024, 20:00, Tangente Festival St. Pölten/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXVIII
What Is to Be Done?
Dealing with New-Right Culture Wars
with Amelie Deuflhard, Oliver Frljić, Thomas Krüger & Joanna Warsza
hosted by Florian Malzacher
17.05.2024, 18:00, Berliner Festspiele/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXVII
The Arts as Playground for the Urban White Middle Class?
with Glenn Bech, Sahar Rahimi & Julia Wissert
hosted by Florian Malzacher
19.03.2024, 19:00, Teatret Svalegangen, Aarhus/Denmark & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXVI
Impacts of Sound – Sounds of Impact
with Fabio Cervi / Earshot, Atiyyah Khan, Brandon LaBelle & Xenia Koghilaki
hosted by Florian Malzacher
30.11.2023, 18:00, Black Box Teater Oslo/Norway & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXV
Assemblies of Individuals
Live Work in Non-Performance Spaces
with Mette Edvardsen & Tino Sehgal
hosted by Florian Malzacher
15.11.2023, 19:00, WASP – Working Art Space, Bucharest/Romania & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXIV
Interwoven Bodies
with Michael Hardt, Michael Kliën, Pedro Lasch & Corina Stan
hosted by Florian Malzacher
19.09.2023, 23:00, Van der Heyden Theatre at the Rubenstein Arts Center, Duke University/USA & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXIII
Gathering (in the) Cloud
Digital Performance Beyond Zoom
with Kent Bye, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko & Sarah Rothberg
hosted by Florian Malzacher
19.04.2023, 21:00, in the Metaverse at nowhere.io & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXII
Provoke Me If You Can
The Crisis of Artistic Disturbances
with Núria Güell & Renzo Marten
hosted by Florian Malzacher
08.02.2023, 19:00, Playground, Labor Ateliers, Studio 3, Munich/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XXI
The Power of Music
with Phil Collins, Anne Hahn & Reyhan Şahin aka Lady Bitch Ray
hosted by Florian Malzacher
10.12.2022, 19:00, brut Wien/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XX
Nous Accusons!
People’s Tribunals Between Politics, Activism and Art
with Lisa Ito-Tapang / Concerned Artists of the Philippines, Wolfgang Kraleck & Madlyn Sauer
hosted by Florian Malzacher
15.11.2022, 19:00, brut Wien/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XIX
Safe vs. Brave?
Art Between Sanctuary and Confrontation
with Miriam Ibrahim, Edit Kaldor & Ingo Niermann / Army of Love
hosted by Florian Malzacher
07.10.2022, 20:00, Theater Neumarkt, Zürich/Switzerland & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XVIII
Body Next to Body
Gathering Masses in Sport Events
with Z. Blace, Caitlin Davis Fisher & Michael Gabriel
hosted by Florian Malzacher
04.07.2022, 19:00, Olympiapark Munich/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XVII
Assembling Knowledges
with Satu Herrala, Ahmet Öğüt & Lotte van den Berg
hosted by Florian Malzacher
31.05.2022, 20:00, Uniarts Theatre Academy, Studio 1, Helsinki/Finland & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XVI
Shifting Power
When Grassroots Movements Win Elections
with Athena Athanasiou, Teodor Celakoski & Marcelo Expósito
hosted by Florian Malzacher
04.05.2022, 19:00, Kunsthalle Wien (Karlsplatz)/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XV
Parliaments of Things and Beings
with Alexander Karschnia (andcompany&Co.) & Eva von Redecker
hosted by Florian Malzacher
04.04.2022, 19:00, brut Wien/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XIV
Audience as Allies, WItnesses and Enemies
with Claire Bishop, Tania Bruguera & Ann Liv Young
hosted by Florian Malzacher
17.03.2022, 19:00, Goethe-Institut New York City/USA & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XIII
Designing Politics
Architectures of Deliberation and Decision-Making
with Markus Miessen & David Mulder van der Vegt
hosted by Florian Malzacher
09.03.2022,20:00, Münchner Kammerspiele/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XII
Pitfalls of Representation
Assemblies in Theatre
with Milo Rau, Kasia Wojcik / School of Resistance, Isabelle Fremeaux & Jay Jordan / The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination (LABOFII)
hosted by Florian Malzacher
29.01.2022, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY XI
Architectures of Hospitality
with Merve Bedir, Benjamin Foerster-Baldenius / raumlabor berlin & Marina Otero Verzier
hosted by Florian Malzacher
20.11.2021, 19:00, brut Wien/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY X
The Politics of Multitude
Assemby as Strategy
with Anna Clara Basilicò / Rise Up For Climate Justice & Antonio Negri
moderated by Marco Baravalle
08.11.2021, 19:00, Laboratorio Occupato Morion, Venice/Italy & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY IX
Reassembling Institutions
with Ahmed Al-Nawas, Nora Sternfeld & Sarah Waterfeld / Staub zu Glitzer
hosted by Florian Malzacher
30.10.2021, 20:00, BIT Teatergarasjen Bergen/Norway & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY VIII
10 Years Occupy Wall Street
with Judith Butler & Max Haiven
hosted by Florian Malzacher
18.09.2021, 19:00, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin/Germany & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY VII
Agonistic Gatherings
with Didier Eribon & Chantal Mouffe
hosted by Florian Malzacher
14.09.2021, 19:00, Halle G, Wien/Austria & Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY VI
Assembling More Than Humans
with Radha d’Souza & Sibylle Peters
hosted by Florian Malzacher
16.06.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY V – SPECIAL
Assemblies of the Many
with Eduard Freudmann, Gin Müller, Heidrun Primas & Philine Rinnert
hosted by Florian Malzacher
27.05.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY IV
Choirs of Precarity and Power
with Claudia Bosse, The Church of Stop Shopping & Alia Mossallam
hosted by Florian Malzacher
10.04.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY III
Assemblism
with Jodi Dean & Jonas Staal
hosted by Florian Malzacher
20.03.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY II
Assemblies as Backbones of Social Movements
with Julia Ramírez-Blanco & Oliver Ressler
hosted by Florian Malzacher
19.02.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
THE ART OF ASSEMBLY I
Assembly as Preenactment
with Oliver Marchart & Dana Yahalomi
hosted by Florian Malzacher
23.01.2021, 19:00, Live Stream
Florian Malzacher is a curator, dramaturg and writer. 2013-2017 he was artistic director of Impulse Theater Festival (Cologne, Dusseldorf and Mulheim/Ruhr), and 2006–2012 co-programmer of the multidisciplinary arts festival steirischer herbst (Graz). He (co-)curated e.g. the 4th and 5th International Summer Academy (Mousonturm Frankfurt, 2002 and 2004), Dictionary of War (2006/07), Truth is concrete (Graz, 2012), Artist Organisations International (HAU Berlin, 2015), Appropriations (Ethnological Museum Berlin, 2014), Sense of Possibility on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the revolution (St. Petersburg, 2017), Training for the Future (Ruhrtriennale 2018/19 with Jonas Staal), After Supervising the Machinery (2020). As a dramaturge he worked with artists like Rimini Protokoll (DE), Lola Arias (ARG), Mariano Pensotti (ARG), and Nature Theater of Oklahoma (USA). Florian Malzacher has edited and written numerous essays and books on theatre and performance and on the relationship between art and politics. His latest publications include Gesellschaftsspiele. Politisches Theater heute im Alexander Verlag Berlin.
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