Performing Monument

Performing Monument is an art project.

The project takes place outside.
Not in a theatre building.
It happens on the street.
This is called public space.

It is about remembering.
It is about the lives of Jewish people.
The project takes place in Hamburg.

The video is by Jonas Nellissen.

In Hamburg, there are many monuments.
These monuments remember Jewish people.

Jewish means a religion.
A religion is when someone believes in God.
There are different religions.
Judaism is one of them.

Many monuments are old.
Some are damaged.
Some are hard to find.

The project asks:
How do we want to remember?
Are old monuments enough?

The project shows 12 special monuments.

A monument reminds us of the past.
It reminds us of people and their lives.
It also reminds us of people
who suffered.

A monument is made for us
so we can think about it.
We should learn from mistakes.
Mistakes made by people
who are no longer alive.

You can remember the word monument like this:
Think for a moment.
To mark the memory.

The art project is about Jewish people.
It is about memories.
It is about monuments
that no one takes care of.

The project asks:
Why do we remember?
Why do monuments exist at all?

The artists clean the monuments.
While they clean, they talk about memories.
They talk about the present.

Other people watch them.
Afterwards, they talk together.

This is art.
This is called a performance.

The team has worked on the project since 2020.
They work together with Jewish people.

At the end, there is a big performance.
It takes place at the Lichthof Theatre in Hamburg.

This performance shows the whole project.
From beginning to end.

For example:
Ideas that worked.
Ideas that were not used.
Difficult conversations.
And many questions about remembering.

The concept and direction were by
Maria Isabel Hagen.

Another concept was by
Christopher-Felix Hahn.
Many artists took part,
for example from dance, painting, and video.

The dramaturgy was by Gunnar Seidel.
The production was by Julia Opitz.

The project was created with partners,
for example with the
Lichthof Theatre Hamburg.

The project received support and funding
from cultural foundations
and public institutions in Hamburg.

Photos by Dennis Mundkowski.