Çağla Ilk's Gorki Theater Program Signals Berlin's Cultural Renewal
Çağla Ilk, who previously served as the curator for the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, has unveiled her vision as the newly appointed artistic director of Berlin's Maxim Gorki Theater, with a focus on integrating visual art into theater. This initiative coincides with significant changes in Berlin's theater community this fall. Ilk, who departed from Gorki in 2020 following a conflict with Shermin Langhoff, has committed to maintaining workshops. Her lineup includes notable figures such as 87-year-old Turkish artist Sarkis and 84-year-old filmmaker Ulrike Oettinger. The ensemble consists of ten members, featuring actors like Çiğdem Teke, Campbell Caspary, and Lars Rudolph. The season is set to commence in December with productions by Sarkis/Kantor and Oettinger, reflecting a wider transformation in Berlin's theatrical scene.
Key facts
- Çağla Ilk was previously curator of the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022.
- Ilk left the Gorki Theater in 2020 after a dispute with Shermin Langhoff.
- The press conference for Ilk's program was the largest since Chris Dercon's in May 2017.
- Ilk's program includes artists Sarkis (87) and Ulrike Oettinger (84).
- Sarkis will explore Tadeusz Kantor's work; Oettinger will stage 'The Hearing Trumpet' by Leonora Carrington.
- Constanze Macras moves from the Volksbühne to the Gorki after not being renewed by Lilienthal.
- Ilk announced a ten-member ensemble including Çiğdem Teke, Campbell Caspary, and Lars Rudolph.
- The program includes directors Sebastian Baumgarten and Marie Schleef.
- Ilk stated that post-migrant labels are now 'too tight'.
- The season opens with Sarkis/Kantor and later Oettinger's production in December.
Entities
Artists
- Çağla Ilk
- Sarkis
- Ulrike Oettinger
- Tadeusz Kantor
- Leonora Carrington
- Göksu Kunak
- Nicole L’Huillier
- Marco Fusinato
- Constanze Macras
- Yael Bartana
- Wu Tsang
- Robert Lippok
- Udo Kittelmann
- Samuel Beckett
- Çiğdem Teke
- Campbell Caspary
- Lars Rudolph
- Sebastian Baumgarten
- Marie Schleef
- Matthias Lilienthal
- Florentina Holzinger
- Marlene Monteiro Freitas
- Frank Castorf
- René Pollesch
- Chris Dercon
- Shermin Langhoff
- Jens Gebhardt
- Lea König
- Luisa Nilson
- Eustachy Kossakowski
- Paulina Krasińska-Sawicka
Institutions
- Maxim Gorki Theater
- German Pavilion
- Venice Biennale
- Volksbühne
- Berliner Senat
- Museum für Moderne Kunst, Warsaw
- Kronprinzenpalais
- Monopol Magazin
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Venice
- Italy
- Munich
- Osnabrück
- Gotha
- Potsdamer Platz
- Starnberger See
- Warsaw
- Poland