POOLS
In the organizer's words:
Video performance by Marlene Helling
As part of the series Focus on: Raw Materials - Buried Secrets
The video performance POOLS by Marlene Helling connects the Hambach open-cast mine, the Dead Sea and the Lusatian lignite mining area. Three places where extractivism and tourism collide: Wellness meets sinkholes, excavators meet viewing platforms. A journey through the contradictions of post-industrial landscapes in the Anthropocene.
These places are holes in the ground. The holes become pools. The artist is referring to the Hambach open-cast mine, the Dead Sea and the Lusatian lignite mining area - places rich in raw materials and minerals. Lignite will continue to be mined in the Hambach open-cast mine until 2030, potassium, bromine, magnesium and iodine will be mined industrially in the Dead Sea for an indefinite period of time, and lignite is to be mined in the Lusatian lignite mining area until 2038. Then these man-made holes are to become an artificial lake landscape.
Together with her artistic team, Marlene Helling has developed a 3-channel video performance that uses a panoramic projection to show the parallelism of the three mining areas: they are being exploited by humans for the second time through tourism. Marlene Heiling's performance combines a humorous lecture performance with choreographic compositions that sensually convey her experiences of anxiety and alienation on site.
What are the effects of the development and use of these landscapes by humans? In POOLS, the three locations are artistically examined in terms of their ownership and ecological conditions.
Marlene Helling (Artistic Director) is a theater maker and performer. She studied cultural studies in Hildesheim and scenic research in Bochum. Her performances deal with social, ecological and feminist issues. In 2024/25 she can be seen at Schauspielhaus Bochum. She is a fellow of the Kunststiftung NRW and heads the residency program at Kunsthaus Helleweg.
Language: German
German. You can follow the play without knowing German, as there is a lot of movement and video without language.
Content Note
POOLS shows destroyed landscapes and loud music is played.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW, the NRW State Office for Independent Performing Arts, the City of Bochum, the AStA of the Ruhr University Bochum, the Society of Friends of the Ruhr University, the Master's course in Scenic Research at the Institute for Theatre Studies at the Ruhr University and with the kind support of the residency program of HELLERAU - European Centre for the Arts, Dresden.
Location
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