Installation and Performance
by Şafak Velioğlu and Elisa Limberg

14.-16.04.2023
Space opens at 6pm, Performance starts at 6:30pm

Tickets are available for 6,- Euro
online via Eventbrite, per Email to programm@clb-berlin.de or on site at the box office.

In the Balkan region exists a shared musical heritage, which – before the current borderlines were drawn – was shaped and inspired by intersecting public places – which is not (or not positively) recognized in today’s political reality. This “collective memory” – a similar subconscious in relation to traditional pieces of music and a shared understanding of a particular text, myth or narrative – holds the answer to a shared memory that transcends national borders.

In a multimedia stage installation, storytelling and live musical performances meet a visual and auditive documentation – thus an imaginary public space for people and music is created in the CLB Berlin, which makes this phenomenon (re)experienceable. The stage space represents the public aspects in their diversity – unorthodox sacred and spiritual places (tekke, monastery), public places (Han/Xan, Avlija, Megdan), archetypal meeting places (Gudvo) as well as secular community spaces.

The bar of our mejhane/kafana/taverna will be open throughout the evening and after the performance we invite to an open exchange.

Concept and direction: Şafak Velioğlu
Space concept: Elisa Limberg
Sound and video design: Burhan Üçkardeş, Serden Salman
Dramaturgical support: Sarah Israel

With Hayden Chisholm Saxophone, Shrutibox a.o.Penelope Gkika Violin Elena Hristova Vocals Eren Paydaş Percussions Mikail Yakut Accordion Şafak Velioğlu Tar, Vocals

Video-Protagonists Dervish Abdulmuttalip (Harabati Baba Tekke), Robert Angelovski, Dunja Bahtijarević, Anatolij Bigorski, Elma Burnić, Admir Ćulumarević, Brand Ferro, Oliver Josifovski, Andi Kazaz, Ljubomir Kekenovski, Alo Medunjanin, Senad Medunjanin, Fikret Menekşe, Damir Nikšić, Veton Nurkollari, Petra Seliskar, Ahmet Šabović, Risto Solunchev, Stefče Stojkovski, Nevzat Şundo, Agim Topçideri.

Field research, interviews, camera, editing, documentation Serden Salman, Burhan Üçkardeş, Şafak Velioğlu, Production management Elisa Limberg, Sound engineering Ceyhun Kara, Video engineering Serden Salman, Burhan Üçkardeş, Graphic design Burhan Üçkardeş.

Supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of NEUSTART KULTUR

Participants

Şafak Velioğlu is a musician, photographer and filmmaker. His multifaceted background influences his artistic and strongly multidisciplinary work: from studying International Relations (Istanbul / Bulgaria), connected with sociological research projects in the Balkan region and Turkey, to founding and managing Kooperatif Art and Performance Hall (Istanbul), conceptualizing and managing the social art – project Rhythm and Recycling, documentary film projects (social change through social art, Destani), performing as a musician and founding the Berlin music collective biresver, to visual documentation and video design, as well as conceptualizing and implementing his own music performance projects.

Elisa Limberg is a stage and costume designer. Her collaboration with directors such as Sven Holm, Christian Brey, Beate Baron, René Pollesch and Marco Goecke has taken her to numerous theaters and opera houses, including Staatstheater Stuttgart, Bayerische Staatsoper, Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Frankfurt and Deutsche Oper am Rhein. For many years she has been involved in productions of the Berlin opera company Novoflot. In various artist collectives she co-developed concepts for theater projects, among others Kötter/Israel/Limberg: landscapes & bodies #1-5 (2019-22), object collection: No Hotel (2013).

Serden Salman lives in Istanbul and works as a photographer, videographer and sound designer, in collaboration with agencies such as PPR Istanbul, Betterthings Studio, 212-Studio and Istanbul’74, among others. His artistic works have been exhibited internationally (Netherlands, Bulgaria, Turkey). In 2009-2012 he was co-director of Kooperatif Art & Performance Hall (Istanbul), where he was involved in international audiovisual and musical projects. His multidisciplinary approach is inspired by the relationship of fact and fiction, established through the medium of photography.

Burhan Üçkardeş lives in Istanbul and works as a freelance artist in the fields of photography, videography and music. His work has been presented in numerous international exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. In 2017 he was artist in residence at Studio Vortex (Marseille). As a musician (oud), he has collaborated with international artists such as Mercan Dede and BABA ZULA. His artistic practice merges different disciplines, preserving their traditions and drawing inspiration from the contrast of the past and the present.

Sarah Israel works in (inter)national contexts as a dramaturg and has directed festivals of the independent scene in Munich and Berlin. She workeds as a dramaturg at Schauspiel Stuttgart and Theater an der Parkaue. Since 2012 she has been developing dance and theater projects. In 2022 she was the dramaturg of the festival FREISCHWIMMEN MEETS RODEO (Munich). She also co-conceived and -realized the podcast series Listening Bodies, which presents choreographers from the African continent with their working methods (refuge worldwide radio, Berlin).

Hayden Chisholm is a saxophonist and composer. He presented his microtonal system split scales for saxophone on his solo CD Circe. His compositions have been recorded by BBC and WDR, he tours worldwide, is involved in numerous recordings, teaches internationally at universities and gives annual masterclasses on Pelion (GR). He composed for installations and films by Rebecca Horn and curated several festivals (10 editions of Plushmusic Festival, Thessaloniki Jazz Festival, Dortjol Festival). In 2015 he opened the Moers Jazz Festival as improvisor in residence. He released several albums (13 Views of the Heart’s Cargo (SWR Jazz Prize), Cusp of Oblivion), as well as the short film Sisyphus Runs. In Belgrade he founded BAM Club, now one of the best jazz venues in the region.

Penelope Gkika is a violinist and lives in Berlin. Her musical activities span a wide spectrum – traditional Greek and Middle Eastern modal music as well as contemporary compositions, free improvisation and performance. She is a founding member of Arcangel Trio, Farmagia and Twin Flames Ensemble. She has performed with Babylon Orchestra Berlin, Soundpainting Orchestra Berlin, Reverse Mode, Stargaze Orchestra Berlin, The Wedding Orchestra for Middle Eastern Music, Kompania Ensemble Berlin, Meral Cihan Ensemble, ASON Orchestra and the Municipal Orchestra of Volos, among others. She is also active as a composer.

Elena Hristova is a singer, composer, producer, translator and documentary filmmaker living in Skopje and Istanbul. In 2004 she founded BAKLAVA MUSIC GROUP, which is currently releasing its fifth album From Skopje with Love. She collaborates with numerous Turkish (Burhan Ocal, Hüsnü Senlendirci, Erkan Oğur, among others) and international musicians in various world music projects. She was part of BABA ZULA (Turkey), Backyard Jazz Orchestra (Germany) and Bioscopia (North Macedonia), among others. She has also worked on NGO projects, such as Musicians Without Borders.

Eren Paydaş is a musician, journalist and academic. He worked as an editor/journalist for Die Tageszeitung’s taz.gazete project, among others, as a translator for academic papers, and educated himself in Kurdish, Arabic, North and South Indian music. In his work, he combines his academic background in anthropology and legal theory with his various fields of interest. As a percussionist he is/was involved in numerous music projects, such as Tevlihev project as well as theater projects (among others Navarasa – 9 Sentimenti in danza e poesia with Maresa Moglia).

Mikail Yakut is a musician focusing on traditional music of Anatolia, Caucasus and Eastern Europe. At the same time, his work is influenced by classical, contemporary and jazz music. In Istanbul he played in different music groups and toured in and outside Turkey. He participated in album recordings by Ayşenur Kolivar, Sumru Ağıryürüyen and Mor ve Ötesi, among others. In Berlin, he was part of contemporary music, improvisation, theater music and electronic music projects and founded Thrace is the Place and Meteikos. He is a member of Heval Trio and A.G.A Trio, with whom he released the album Meeting in 2020. With Korhan Erel, he can be seen as Mut, an electroacoustic techno duo.