As part of STWST84x12 HAUNTED, US artist Stephanie Mercedes will present the 1st Act of the 3-part queer gun-destruction opera “Never in Our Image.”

ACT I, a gun cutting ceremony, is the first step in the transformation process. Singers, musicians, and dancers respond to the various sounds of guns being cut into pieces. Pitches and tones were pulled from the raw sound of angle grinders, blow torches, and hand saws. The process of composition reflects the process of destruction. 

Stephanie Mercedes will travel to Linz with her core team to develop and rehearse the first act of the opera locally with local performers. Never in Our Image was created in the wake of an act of violence against queer people. Therefore, this open call is directed at queer individuals and minds who embody queerness rather than just portraying it.

We are looking for

• Experienced Artists (2 per discipline): From the fields of Percussion, Dance, and Opera Singing (ideally Tenor/Baritone). Compensation: A flat rate of €300 per person for one performance, including a small number of rehearsals (see below).

We offer also

• Workshop “How to Blob - About Unlearning and Unnaming”. This Workshop offers the possibility, to get to know Stephanie Mercedes and their way of working and to try out performative strategies with their team. The format is 2x 45 minutes workshop plus lunch. Contributions and elements unfolded in this process can be incorporated in the performance on September 12th!

Workshops & Rehearsals from September 7.-10. Sept.

Performance on September 12th, within the time slot of 21.30-23:00 as part of STWST84x12 HAUNTED.

Please note: Never in Our Image will not take place on a traditional stage, but rather as a performative setting in the public space on the Maindeck in front of the Stadtwerkstatt.

Want to be part of it? We look forward to hearing from you!

@ 2 professional artists each from the fields of percussion, dance and opera singing:
Please send us some examples of your work by 2 August at the latest to: gundestruction@stwst.at

@Workshop participation: Registration required by 1 September at gundestruction@stwst.at

See you soon!

More about Gun Destruction Opera
Stephanie Mercedes
https://www.stephaniemercedes.com/
https://www.culturaldc.org/mercedes

Stephanie Mercedes is an anti-disciplinary Queer Latinx artist who works in sculpture, opera, techno, choreography, and sound. Their work revolves around creating rituals of mourning and rituals of liberation. Mercedes melts weapons to create instruments and sculptures. She also unearths overlooked histories of violence. Mercedes has exhibited and performed at the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center, the Bronx Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and the Art Museum of the Americas.

Heike Kaltenbrunner is a sound and media artist. Her artistic practice and research focus on object-based spatial and sound installations that create experimental spaces for encounter. Her points of reference range from the grand phenomena of the cosmos to human perception. Her works have been exhibited internationally, including at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum, the ICMC, and at festivals such as Konfrontationen and Music Unlimited.

Stephanie Mercedes and Heike Kaltenbrunner have also designed the new edition of the community currency Gibling, which was released in June.

More about the Gun Destruction Opera “Never in Our Image” in an interview with Mercedes and Heike HIER.
More about the Gun Destruction Gibling HERE - all Notes & Artist Infos HERE.

CREDIT Image 1: Stephanie Mercedes, Amir Pourmand, Heike Kaltenbrunner
CREDIT Image 2 (Gibling Design): Stephanie Mercedes, Amir Pourmand, Heike Kaltenbrunner

The project is realized with the support of the BMWKMS, the North America Fund, and the Stadtwerkstatt.

Back to Gibling Start.