Lighting design for a theatre piece by andcompany&Co.
A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of colonialism. In 1884/85, Otto von Bismarck invited the leaders of old Europe to the so-called “Berlin-Conference” into his residence (Reichskanzlerpalais) in order to divide Africa among them. They randomly drew lines on a map and created borders which still exist today and are the cause for many political and military conflicts. The date of the conference also marks the beginning of Germany’s thirty-year long period of colonial rule in the region of today’s Togo, Cameroon, Namibia, Tanzania, Burundi and Ruanda: land-grab and kidnapping, scavenging of natural resources, forced labour, war and genocide were the consequences.
The Berlin-based “ghostbusters” of andcompany&Co. began to search for colonial ghosts: an area of allotment gardens, several rows of streets, even a whole city district and a well-known supermarket chain are still being haunted today – nearly 100 years after the official end of the German colonial period. An underground station near the “Reichskanzlerpalais” seems to be the entrance to the underworld. Ruler Bismarck, who did not come to peace in Friedrichsruh, stalks around as “the white man”: White man, what now? (andcompany&Co)
Premiered at Hebbel am Ufer HAU2, Berlin 27.9.2013
Conceived and performed by: Dela Dabulamanzi, Simone Dede Ayivi, Alexander Karschnia, Nicola Nord, Gorges Ocloo, Joachim Robbrecht, Sascha Sulimma&Co. Dramaturgy: Alexander Karschnia&Co. Set Design: Jan Brokof&Co. Lighting Design: Gregor Knüppel&Co. Video: Kathrin Krottenthaler&Co. Costumes: Raki Fernandez&Co. Production Assistant: Mascha Euchner-Martinez. Assistant Set Design: Julia Harttung. Technical Director: Marc Zeuske. Company Management: Katja Sonnemann.
Photos Barbara Braun, Gregor Knüppel
