zamelte | dihtung
performance, 2024
zamelte | dihtung, is a performance piece centred around a collection of everyday Germanisms spoken by my family. Some arrived during the Austro-Hungarian occupation, lingering in the names of tools, household goods, and types of work. Others travelled with my great-great-great-grandfather, settling into our cakes and cookies, soups and stews. In adjectives we use to describe people.
On the second anniversary of my still-pending application for permanent residency in Germany, I walked to the Landesamt für Einwanderung wearing a veil of our shared language. When I arrived, I tied my Germanisms in front of the entrance: there, they stood as a makeshift memorial to our shared past. Perhaps, our shared future.
Credits:
Concept, performance & editing: Katarina Gotic
Sound design: Vincent Damiani
Camera: wishes to remain anonymous