Suvi Kemppainen + Josefine Mühle: Baby Choir – Sophiensæle | Independent Theater in Berlin

Suvi Kemppainen + Josefine Mühle:
Baby Choir

Baby Choir_Foto_Venla Helenius_HP

Innocent, cute, dependent – Baby Choir throws socially accepted baby images overboard and is  interested in the monstrosity of the baby archetype. What if the baby possessed desire, was capable of action, and had an activist bent to boot? What if it opens up portals into science fiction and already knows about alternatives for us and our lives on this planet that we can't even imagine, let alone admit to?

In the not too distant future, three performers find themselves under a hill in the middle of a juicy grass landscape full of rotting symbols. Undergoing constant rebirth, they nostalgically and joyfully navigate as ambivalent trickster figures through an uncanny yet playful loop of reality. They operate within phases of childhood, adulthood and aging, first primordial, then futuristic again and come together in choral formations. In their performance, Josefine Mühle and Suvi Kemppainen examine stigmas imposed on the female identified body and find a corporeality that seeks to escape common attributions and composes psycho-poetic journeys. Baby Choir invites us to rethink and creates an open habitat, sometimes gentle, sometimes provocative.

The performance will last 45-60 minutes. It includes short text passages in English spoken language, which will also be available in German written language. The light is atmospheric and colorful. There are colorful projections and unusual smells. Metal benches are available for seating. Some of them offer the possibility of leaning against the back wall. There will also be mattresses on the floor, as well as two wheelchair spaces and one beanbag seat that can be reserved by phone or booked via the online ticket shop, if available. Admission begins 20-30 minutes prior to show time. We recommend arriving early to select a suitable seat. The piece is suitable for younger audiences. Accessibility information is updated on an ongoing basis. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Gina Jeske at jeske@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35.

Cancelled
Premiere

CONCEPT, CHOREOGRAPHY Suvi Kemppainen, Josefine Mühle CREATION, PERFORMANCE Xenia Taniko, Johanna Karlberg, Suvi Kemppainen, Josefine Mühle SOUND DESIGN Fjóla Gautadóttir (lemonboy), Reetta Nummi (sitoi) SET, LIGHT David Eckelmann COSTUME Moran Sanderovich AUDIO DESCRIPTION, CONCEPT, CREATION Pernille Sonne, Emmilou Rößling, Xenia Taniko LIVE DESCRIPTION Emmilou Rößling DRAMATURGICAL WORKSHOP, OUTSIDE EYE Isabel Gatzke PHOTOGRAPHY Venla Helenius PRODUCTION, CARE Tiphaine Carrère 

A production by Josefine Mühle & Suvi Kemppainen in co-production with SOPHIENSÆLE. Supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Media partner: taz.

suvi kemppainen is a choreographer and dancer based in helsinki and berlin. their artistic practice is anchored in psychopoetical corporealities, dancers agency and dramaturgy in artistic work and creating more transparent working conditions. josefine mühle is artist and choreographer and works between berlin and föhr. she researches bodies in states of emergency and alternative temporalities and boldly combines different media such as dance, video, painting and sounding, drawing inspiration from psychological studies, fantasy and environmental phenomena.

Baby Choir_Foto_Venla Helenius_HP
© Venla Helenius