Performance during the art project “STRE!FEN” organized by the artist collective “Wildwuchs e.V.” and PAS performance art studies #71, in the border cities Görlitz (Germany) and Zgorzelec (Poland)
STRE!FEN
The German word “Streifen” means stripe, but also to touch, to graze, to roam, to swipe and combines a lot of other sensual meanings. STRE!FEN stands in its meanings firstly for the abstract form, which can be space, border and connection at the same time, secondly for the light, gentle touch and thirdly for the unintentional but exploratory movement. A special space. A special contact. A special movement.
The various meanings of the word “Streifen” will be the method of our artistic research. Görlitz and Zgorzelec are used as an art space, we work in the social, cultural and political context of the city, we deal with local conditions and structures, architecture, history and above all – with the people.
The border between Görlitz and Zgorzelec is marked by a river (Neiße) a moving stripe which is a contact point, gentle and careful, sometimes unintentional, a sensing, exploring and the first perception of another existence. How do we meet each other? How do we go on? Are we curious about each other?
Bluring Borders
Performance Duration: 20 minutes
I am standing at the beginning of the bridge crossing the Neisse from Görlitz to Zgorzelec, with a role of paper, tape and a paper bag with charcoal.
At one foot I have a shoe and at the other foot I have none.
I lay the role of paper down at the beginning of the street crossing the bridge and stick the beginning of the roll of paper on the street.
I stand on the paper and with my toe I open the roll of paper a bit further and create a white path.
From the bag I shake some pieces of black charcoal and with my foot with shoe I crush the charcoal fine. With my shoeless foot I step into the charcoal and take one step further and leave my trace.
In this same way I go a bit further and further along my path. Behind me the wind fades my way and my path becomes a difficult road through a piece of land that was changeable in history within its borders.
When I pass half of the bridge and arrive in Poland, my roll of paper is almost finished and I roll out the last piece with my hands.
Now I walk to the side of the bridge to my other paper bag that I had put there beforehand.
From there I roll out another paper roll over the railing of the bridge. Exactly on the spot where the border between Germany and Poland runs.
The line is immediately caught by the wind. Slowly I lower it down, but the line forms graceful arches, touches the water for a moment and is then taken back into the air by the wind. The line almost reaches the water acceleration but the wind gets stronger and stronger and suddenly the paper tears and flies away in a nice arc. Shade!! I hear people say. Quickly I roll a new piece of paper and create a new line. It quickly gets longer. I grab a bottle of natural green dye and take a sip and let the dye run down from my mouth over the paper. In this way the paper becomes the same color green as the water and the trees along the river.
The wind takes a lot of dye and the line is stubborn. The river colors itself greener.
The fight for borders is difficult.
photo’s: Monica Deimling