I know that most of your devices are currently displaying “Tue” on their clocks, which means you're on your second working day, but for me Tue is almost over - in my case it’s been the third working day and the week ends the day after tomorrow. If you are not aware, we start on Sunday over here. My weekend was full of overthinking life-or-death questions like ‘Am I ready to choose a safe place over another chance (just a chance) for affection?’, or ‘Is oxytocin more essential for a happy life than phenylethylamine?‘ As it stands, phenylethylamine is the hormone responsible for such incredible feelings like butterflies in the stomach. Don’t even ask why am I bothered with such weird things… but I truly believe that in order to get a clear answer, questions should be posed properly.
There are just a couple Goings-On dispatches left. This one is dedicated to Germany and covers 16 events: 4 exhibitions, 3 operas, 4 concerts, 4 theater performances and 3 ballets.
Until 5 Sept / Exhibition / Tyler Mitchell, Wish This Was Real / C|O Berlin
This very young and very talented photographer gets his first massive retrospective in the US. I truly believe it is just the beginning for this guy, to me he looks like the new Tim Walker.
Until 6 October / Exhibition / Andy Warhol. Velvet Rage and Beauty / Neue Nationalgaleie
A huge exhibition of the most famous American artist curated by the most famous German curator Klaus Beisenbach - probably the most famous curator in general, after Hans Ulrich Obrist, of course.
Until 6 October / Exhibition / Sex: Jewish Positions / Jewish Museum Berlin
This was the only show I visited during my very brief visit to Berlin. I think it is an amazing example of a narrative exhibition, but unfortunately it is quite poor in the visual department. I’d recommend it anyway, and I would also wait to see the Amsterdam version this fall.
Also, until 18 August / Exhibition / Modigliani: Modern Gazes / Museum Barberini Potsdam
1 - 7 July / Opera / Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre by Krzysztof Warlikowski / Bayerisches Staatsoper
I have already briefly mentioned it here. I love Warlikowski, even though people tend to mark him as a rough director. It is true, of course, but only in part. He used to be a rough director, having flirted with violent imagery too much for the standards of the time. Today we are so used to violent images in everyday life that his techniques no longer have the same provocative appeal.
7 July / Concert / Asmik Grigorian / Prinzregententheater
What a beauty! What a talent! Here is the proof!
18-22 July / Ballet / Spheres.02 by Angelin Preljocaj / Cuvilliés-Theater
Preljocaj has a lot of premieres this year. And let’s be grateful for that - he is, after all, a leading choreographer of our times. I’ll try to catch this next season.
18 July / Concert / Jakub Józef Orliński / Prinzregententheater
The only way I can describe a singer's talent is through words, which is never enough. Hopefully this viral video speaks louder than words!
21-28 July / Opera / Tannhauser by Romeo Castelucci / Nationaltheater
It's only for scenes like these that I’m ready to sit through four and half hours of Wagner. Although, to be honest, I’m very good at setting the world on mute.
Staying within the Munich Opera Festival, I would also draw your attention to Die Fledermaus by Barrie Kosky on 31 July at Nationaltheater
Somehow I missed that Ivo van Hove was appointed Artistic Director of Ruhrtriennale (this name is a nightmare for dyslexics). The programme is one blockbuster after another. Please, don’t panic if the tickets are suddenly sold out - sign up for updates.
16-30 Aug / Theater / I Want Absolute Beauty by PJ Harvey, Ivo van Hove, La Horde and Sandra Huller / Jahrhunderthalle Bochum
I sincerely hope that this collaboration will soon be followed by a tour schedule announcement. There is no other chance, right? Mark my words, La Horde will turn into a superpower ensemble very very soon!
17 Aug - 8 Sept / Dance / Y by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker / Museum Folkwang
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker was one of the first to ‘exhibit’ dance in museums. Since then we had many staging talents entering our (exhibition) spaces, but De Keersmaker keeps her status and continues to surprise us.
17-23 Aug /Theater/ Sergey Paradjanov’s Legende by Kirill Serebrennikov / Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
If I’m not mistaken this performance is an adaptation of a notable show from of Gogol Center repertoire, the theater Serebrennikov used to be the director for. Definitely worth checking out.
22-25 Aug / Dance / A la Carte by Ioannis Mandafounis / PACT Zollverein
Recently I've been coming across Ioannis Mandafounis’s name more and more. I haven’t seen his works yet, but according to my humble research, their most accurate description would be the word “WOW!”.!
23-25 Aug /Theater/ Abendzauber by Bjork, Anton Bruckner, Krystian Lada and others/ Mischanlage, Kokerei Zollverein
Well, it involves Bjork… do I need to say more?
25-29 Aug /Theater/ Berenice by Romeo Castellucci feat. Isabelle Huppert / Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
Unfortunately people say this is a boring piece. Nevertheless, I know that even with this information in mind I would still have paid it a visit.
29-31 Aug /Concert/ Julius Eastman’s Erased Music by Wild Up / Turbinenhalle an der Jahrhunderthalle Bochum
A concert series against forgetting: Julius Eastman is the first artist in our new series Erased Music, which will run over the next three years. His work is the perfect place to start a series on musicians who have been unjustly forgotten and who are worthy of being placed back into the spotlight. Eastman was a composer, pianist and singer from New York. He wrote much more aggressive and haunting minimal music than that of his famous colleagues Philip Glass and Steve Reich.
When I want to cry (or force myself to cry) I always put Georgian music on. Trinity Cathedral Choir gives a concert entitled Georgian Voices on 19 Aug at Turbinenhalle an der Jahrhunderthalle Bochum
Meanwhile I watched the new season of The Bear, the fresh and hot Sugar (2024) produced by Apple TV and the french series 66-5. Also, Inside Out 2 is very very good (the Pixar we all know and love), Ezra (2023) is simply one of the best movies I’ve seen recently, however A Family Affair (2024) and Hit Man (2024) aren't worth a try, even for being junk food they have too much junk. In order to break free from all the overthinking, I haven't missed any of my training, especially boxing - I’ve never felt happier in my life than during the first 30 minutes after a good session.
I hope you all have a healthy way of clearing your mind or getting a dopamine rush - and if you don't, I hope you find it.
Yours,
Miri Nissi