Capitalism lures with imprecise promises of a better life. Do the movements of global (labour) migration follow its call or are they rather an act of cross-border resistance? An open working group, led and inspired by Belgrade artist duo Bojan Djordjev and Siniša Ilić explores this question through artistic means.

“The Natural Theatre of Oklahoma is calling you! It will only today, and only once! Anyone who misses this opportunity misses it forever!” In Franz Kafka’s unfinished novel "Amerika", people who are caught in a precarious labour-migration existence are invited to participate – what they are to participate in is not clear, however. They hurry to get there in time and be a part of it. What are they hoping for? They are hoping for something better than what they had previously experienced.

Also this year, WIENWOCHE has invited interested individuals to participate in an open workgroup (see open call info below). With no prior application or selection procedures, thirteen participants with diverse Viennese backgrounds but a shared interest in this joint process, came together to address the question of where Kafka’s journey into the unknown would lead in today’s establishment of capitalism and migration regimes. Despite many decades of progress in labour law, Kafka’s fictional America of authority and precarious conditions seems shockingly topical today. During a multi-week, horizontally organised process, the group explores how we can unite our forces to collectively define the destinations when travelling to the unknown, while ignoring all borders, and taking self-chosen detours.

“It’s the world’s biggest theatre.” The artistic research process which includes the joint reading of texts, exchanging experiences, and appropriating performative methods, culminates in a theatre-like installation. The audience is invited to watch, yet also to question, add to and extrapolate the results of this performative study from their own perspectives and positions.

CONCEPT AND ARTISTIC DIRECTION:

Bojan Djordjev and Siniša Ilić

WIENWOCHE WORKGROUP:

Elena Carr, Mirjana Djotunović Mustra, Bojan Djordjev, Jana Dolečki, Siniša Ilić, Asija Ismailovski, Srđan Knežević, Eva Kovač, Kristina Malbašić, Franziska Schindler, Mirjam Stängl & others

GUEST-PERFORMER:

Amar Kulenović, Jan Liefhold, Vid Jeraj, Agnieszka Salamon and Eliah Stängl