ZOE / HAUS MAWU

A sophisticated production that is also suitable for our visitors aged 14 and above.

Sagas, legends, folklore and myths make it possible to rethink our existence in every conceivable direction. That is why I am drawn to myths. In the real world and its history, I often have the feeling that I do not belong, that I am not being narrated, that I lead an in-between existence. I exist between continents, between cultures, between colours and between stories of different peoples and stories of different nations. Between concepts, truths, realities. Myths, however, allow us to imagine our own history, to reconnect with our ancestors, and to create a space in which we can exist without having to justify ourselves. A space in between that can be extended endlessly. A place without borders, where we can meet and imagine a home. And is not every story just a myth in the end, anyway?

Driven by the longing to remember one's own origins and ancestral lines and to create a home, MAWU LISA forms a space for a hybrid, Afro-diasporic saga. Six Black performers meet and embark on a multi-spherical search for their individual and collective, cultural and spiritual heritage. In doing so, they reflect identity-creating, pop-cultural and political moments, taking up colonial imagery in order to revise it. They explore physically archived knowledge, spiritual practices, and family traditions.

Marie-Zoe Buchholz / ZOE is an interdisciplinary performance artist and curator from Düsseldorf. In her works, she reflects on rehabilitation, transformation, and the (re)appropriation of body and space, as well as on the relationship between power and marginalisation. Her artistic practice combines aesthetics of voguing and ballroom, physical theatre, club and free styles, spoken word and vocal music. She was a founding member of the first German Ballroom House and developed into one of the leading figures within the German ballroom community. Most recently, she celebrated the premiere of her solo show FEMINA SAGA – Genesis at tanzhaus nrw.

HAUS MAWU, initiated by ZOE, is an artistic company. It perceives itself as a place to think and design spaces, bodies and stories in a post-patriarchal heterotopia that unfolds in all directions and creates community through art and ritual. HAUS MAWU aims to strengthen the visibility of Black and diasporic cultural practices and aesthetics and to advance the transformation of institutionalised culture through hybrid projects and interdisciplinary storytelling. They use various artistic forms of expression such as theatre, dance, club and subculture, film, music, audio, writing, installations, education as well as ritual and spiritual practices to achieve this. As a collaborative space for diverse artists, the company is dedicated to strengthening diasporic, queer, and intersectional perspectives. A core intention is to rewrite history and to reflect and question reality through folklore, fiction, and pop culture. HAUS MAWU stands for intentional transformation, rehabilitation and integration.

In German, English and others. With surtitles. Loud music and strobe.
Duration: ca. 60 min.

Recommended for ages 14+

CONTENT NOTE: This performance celebrates diverse realities of life, but also addresses harsh realities, including experiences of racism and discrimination. The production contains scenes with explicit language and addresses racially motivated violence.
In addition, there are moments when physical contact between performers and audience members is possible. This may be emotionally challenging and/or triggering. We ask that you pay attention to your own well-being and engage with the performance in a self-determined and mindful manner.