GOOTOPIA
by Doris Uhlich

Between horror, fascination and sheer lust - in their installation performance, Doris Uhlich and ensemble flood the stage with slime to dance on, in and with it. Curious?

dance/performance

FRI 21.01.2022
8:00pm — 9:30pm

Künstlerhaus Mousonturm - Saal

Event link

Ticket needed

[Image description: naked people stand and kneel together in a circle, partially stretching their arms upwards and covered in slime]

Mucus is a biologically vital substance that triggers ambivalent reactions: disgust and shudder, but also curiosity and the desire to touch. Its delightful and irritating effects stem from the fact that it is difficult to grasp in our technologized society, which is characterized by the desire for sterility and stability: slime is not clearly solid or liquid, neither intrinsic nor alien, and sometimes both at the same time. Every life starts wet; we are not born dry, not "clean". Mucus is a substance originally familiar to us, which holds the organism together and establishes connections. Mostly, however, we lose touch with it in the course of life: in science fiction it often appears in connection with aliens and stands for the non-human, the unknown, which spreads fluidly; and even in our pandemic present it is tainted with fear. In Gootopia ("goo" for slime) the interaction of the performers with various slime substances is in the foreground. The slime is material and performer at the same time, it dances with, on, in, and between bodies. People and slime touch each other, network, mix, form alliances. New connections are constantly formed, the body boundaries become fluid and associative spaces for other, slimy, utopian forms of life to open up.

Doris Uhlich is concerned that our bodies are in constant connection and exchange with other bodies and life forms. An ambivalent field between horror and fascination, empathy and disgust emerges, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the liveliness of material processes. Gootopia is an installative performance. Audience* members are invited to freely choose their position and perspective in the space and experience a multi-layered and expanded practice of dance that encompasses sculptural, landscape, and installation qualities.

Duration: approx. 90 min

*There will be a short introduction before each performance.

Cast & Credits

Choreography Doris Uhlich

Concept development in collaboration with Boris Kopeinig

Performers Pêdra Costa, Ann Muller, Andrius Mulokas, Emmanuel Obeya, Camilla Schielin, Grete Smitaite

Set design Juliette Collas, Philomena Theuretzbacher

Costume Zarah Brandl

Sound Boris Kopeinig

Light Phoenix (Andreas Hofer), Gerald Pappenberger

Dramaturgical advice Adam Czirak

Feedback Johanna Kirsch

Direction and production assistance Laura Buczynski

Stage assistance Wanja Knoflach

Costume assistance Annina Kriechbaum, Josephin Berger

Social media Esther Brandl

Thanks to Gabriel Kraußhar

Production Margot Wehinger

International Distribution Something Great

Photo: Alexi Pelekanos

An event of Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in the context of Tanzplattform Rhein-Main.

Tanzplattform Rhein-Main, a project of Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and Hessisches Staatsballett, is made possible by Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain and supported by the Cultural Office of the City of Frankfurt am Main, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art and the Foundation Alliance [Aventis Foundation, BHF BANK Foundation, Crespo Foundation, Hans Erich and Marie Elfriede Dotter Foundation, Dr. Marschner Foundation, Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft Frankfurt am Main]. Co-production Tanzquartier Wien, Theater Freiburg, Dampfzentrale Bern, asphalt Festival and insert Tanz und Performance GmbH. Supported by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna and the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport.

Further dates:

  • SAT 22.01. | 4:00pm

    Künstlerhaus Mousonturm - Saal

  • SAT 22.01. | 8:00pm

    Künstlerhaus Mousonturm - Saal