1000 Serpentinen Angst

Olivia Wenzel writes about loss and anxiety disorders, wittily and many-voiced, as well as about origin and racism, flirts with capitalism, or recurring encounters with snack machines. Her debut novel 1000 Serpentinen Angst won multiple awards, was nominated for the Deutsche Buchpreis (German Book Prize) and other awards and is currently playing at German municipal theatres. In the novel, a young woman goes to see a theatre play about the Wende period, and she is the only Black visitor in the audience. She sits at a bathing lake in Brandenburg with her friend and sees four Nazis approaching. She experiences Trump’s election victory in a New York hotel room. She also narrates her family’s history: about her mother, who was a punk in the GDR. About her grandmother, whose party-line loyalty brought her prosperity and security. And about her twin brother, who perished aged 19.

Within the scope of VOLUME UP, we invite the author to present her work herself, joined by sound designer Malu Peeters. And this includes commentary on its reception. About two years have passed since its publication – time for an interdisciplinary résumé. The performative lecture interlaces feedback from the arts supplements, social media, and her circle of friends; lecture, video, live music and talk merge associatively. Peeters and Wenzel also pose questions that have not been asked yet, directing their gaze towards images they miss in public space.

Duration: 60 min.