Kaiserfahrt

let me guide you - tour by an Ausländer
in und um das Wiesbadener Staatstheater
von Vera Boitcova

WIESBADEN BIENNALE
Hesisches Staatstehater
Wiesbaden, 2022

Performance:
Vera Boitcova

Konzept, Recherche, Regie und Sound:
Josefine Köhler

“Wollte Kaiser Wilhelm II. den Feierlichkeiten (...) des Hessischen Staatstheaters heute beiwohnen, er würde seine Kaiserdurchfahrt nicht finden. Das Tor mit den beiden Säulen auf den Seiten und dem Löwenkopf darüber, durch das seine kaiserliche Hoheit zur Eröffnung 1894 in der Kutsche einfuhr, um sich nicht unters Volk mischen zu müssen, ist heute durch einen Neubau verdeckt.” ¹Der Werkstattanbau aus den Jahren 1973/74 umschließt das Foyergebäude samt Kaiserfahrt ringsherum und erzeugt einen Leerraum dazwischen. Eine Übergangszone, produziert von dem Clash an den Stellen, an denen der brutalistische Anbau in die repräsentativen Mauern des Staatstheaters kracht. Es ist eine Geste des Zumauerns, die mit Fragen nach Kontrolle und Macht verbunden ist. Hier manifestiert sich gleichsam die Präsenz und Absenz des Kaisers. Was in den anti monarchistischen 70ern als Kontinuitätsbruch gewertet wurde, um sich der repräsentativen Fassade entgegenzusetzen, genießt heute weitaus weniger Zustimmung. So fordern einige einen Abriss des brutalistischen Baus, um das Gebäude wieder vollständig in die umliegende Wilhelminische Kulisse der Kurstadt einzugliedern.

Vera Boitcova ist eine in Helsinki lebende russische Performance-Künstlerin, Regisseurin, Dramaturgin und politische Aktivistin. Für die Wiesbaden Biennale 2022 führt sie Tourist*innen abseits der repräsentativen Fassaden über diverse Stationen im öffentlichen Raum bis ins Theater. Die Tour spürt der Frage nach, welche narrativen Strukturen dem urbanen Raum und den sozialen Kontexten im und um das Theater eingeschrieben sind. Welche Methoden des Blicks auf Stadt müssen wir verlernen, um neue Sichtweisen auf öffentlichen Raum zu finden?
^{1 Madeleine Reckmann, Anbau des Wiesbadener Staatstheaters lieber abreißen als sanieren, In: Frankfurter Rundschau, 23.09.2019}

Text: Josefine Köhler

…(Vera is guiding the group through the backyard) “We are now walking through this beautiful space, sandwiched between two imposing buildings.” (she makes exaggerated gestures towards the space) “One immediately feels the very special atmosphere that is preserved here in this compact space between the old house and the new house.” (Vera walks in circles) “Particularly appealing is this (she points at the new house) wonderful piece of brutalist architecture, the newest part of the theatre, which was attached to the older part in the 1970s. From its unique design language, one can clearly recognise the work of a genius, right?” (Vera seems very fond of the back of the new house) “See how gracefully this building blends into the façade of the old house.” (she says, pointing to that spot) “And imagine the size of the wrecking ball that created a crater like that!” (she nods and turns around) „Whatever. This door in this monumental building, which gets far too much attention, was the special entrance for His Imperial Highness, Wilhelm II himself.” (she makes some degrading gestures towards the old house) “Yes, the crazy maniac who spread his ego halfway around europe with his aggressive nationalism. As you may have guessed, this entrance was only for him; no one else was allowed to use it so that he would not have to deal with ordinary people at the public entrance.” (Vera talks about Wilhelm with a 'blah blah blah' attitude) “But this place isn't really all about that crazy old house over there (points to the old house) or this wonderful brutalist piece (points to the new house) but the fact that this concrete wall, the core element of the new house, literally blocks the emperor's entrance to the old house and creates a space in between." (Vera draws the outlines of the space with her fingers) “So, to be clear, if Wilhelm wanted to jump out of his carriage right now and go to the party, he couldn't; he wouldn't know how to make an entrance!” (Vera is very excited, but she needs to speak loudly to be heard over the noise of construction work that has just started) “Can you think of a better reference to the anti-monarchist 1970s? I don't think so!” (she nods…) “But for now, I really want you to understand that this space, this complex architectural arrangement, is in danger!” (she looks very serious) “Because, you know, Wiesbaden wants to take it down!” (She shouts and nods as the construction noise gets louder) “They want to get rid of the new house so they can reinstate the entrance to the old house and live out their pure, untouched castle fantasies. You know how quickly it happens when some stupid conservatives want to restore their fairytales about the fatherland – as you can hear, the demolition of the house has already started!” (still shouting very loudly over the construction noise) “So let me do this one thing for you" (she points to someone in the audience, walks closer to a microphone) “I don't think anyone else has the capability to talk to houses and spaces like I do. That's why I'll translate for you. If this space could talk, it would tell you this:” (Vera walks to the microphone and picks it up.Meanwhile, the construction site gets even louder. She seems to switch characters, standing up straight and reading from a piece of paper)

“I am the floor and the walls. I am the opening upwards and the enclosure around; a distance. I am the air. I am the negativespace in between the old house and the new house. An object, produced by the clash of the brutalist building of the 70s right into the representation of power. I am a space. Sitespecific. This space. You can think of me as a void, a space without a use, superfluous, irritating, ugly, disturbing. But I am not without function, because I am not without relation. I am the product of a reaction to a historical heritage, of the sledgehammer, of the big hole in the side of the theater, of the anti-monarchist movements of the 70s. I am collapsing facade, a gesture of walling up the emperor's entry. I am this space. A historical reference, I embodie a question of continuity. In me manifests the presence and absence of an empire.” - -