Berlin Theater Festival Probes Art, Crime, and Censorship Through Performances and Trials
Between October 31 and November 2, 2003, Berlin's Hebbel Theater am Ufer presented 'Kunst und Verbrechen: Art without Crime,' under the curation of Anselm Franke, Sylvia Sasse, and Stefanie Werner. This event transformed the theater into spaces for investigation, where attendees took on roles of judge, victim, and detective, delving into themes of art, law, and commerce. A notable highlight was the case of Vladimir Sorokin's 'Blue Lard,' which faced pornography allegations in 2002. Performances included Vadim Zakharov's funeral mass and scenic miniatures by Hans Werner Kroesinger. Lectures were delivered by Cornelia Vismann and Ekaterina Degot, with contributions from Christoph Schlingensief and the band Leningrad. The festival concluded with the film 'Inhaftierung' and discussions surrounding censorship.
Key facts
- The festival 'Kunst und Verbrechen: Art without Crime' ran from October 31 to November 2, 2003 at Hebbel Theater am Ufer in Berlin.
- Curators were Anselm Franke, Sylvia Sasse, and Stefanie Werner.
- Vladimir Sorokin's book 'Blue Lard' was charged with pornography in 2002 by 'The United Ones,' a Putin-linked youth movement.
- Sorokin participated in a detention cell installation in Berlin-Schöneberg during the festival.
- Performances included Vadim Zakharov's mass for the sandcake Madeleine with music by Ivan Sokolov and Natalia Pshenichikova.
- The Russian band Leningrad, founded by Sergey Shnurov in 1997 in St. Petersburg, performed at the event.
- Avdej Ter-Oganjan was accused in 1998 of violating icons under a new law against 'stirring up religious hatred.'
- Kembrew McLeod trademarked the phrase 'Freedom of Expression' and sent a cease and desist letter to a telecommunications giant in 2003.
Entities
Artists
- Vladimir Welminsky
- Vladimir Sorokin
- Anselm Franke
- Sylvia Sasse
- Stefanie Werner
- Vadim Zakharov
- Ivan Sokolov
- Natalia Pshenichikova
- Hans Werner Kroesinger
- Christoph Schlingensief
- Matthias Lilienthal
- Sergey Shnurov
- Cornelia Vismann
- Ekaterina Degot
- Albrecht Koschorke
- Anatolij Osmolovskij
- Pavel Pepperstejn
- Sergej Anufriev
- Jurij Lejderman
- Avdej Ter-Oganjan
- Elena Kovylina
- Rebecca Horn
- Tanja Dabo
- Robin James Rhode
- Michail Ryklin
- Kembrew McLeod
- Julia Kissina
- Bernhard Schütz
- D.A. Prigow
- L. Rubinstein
- A. Monastyrskij
Institutions
- Hebbel Theater am Ufer
- HAU
- The United Ones
- International Research Institute for Cultural Sciences
- IFK
- University of Constance
- Inspektion Medizinische Hermeneutik
- University of Arts (UdK) Berlin
- Academy of Sciences Moscow
- University of Iowa
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Volksbühne
- Bolshoi Theatre
- Moscow Conceptualists
- Medical Hermeneuten
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Cologne
- Frankfurt am Main
- Vienna
- Austria
- St. Petersburg
- Russia
- Moscow
- Berlin-Schöneberg
- Kreuzberg
- Switzerland
- Iowa