Studio Julian Hetzel & Ntando Cele
+ More info- Live performance
- maison Folie Wazemmes, Lille
- 1h30
SPAfrica
In SPAfrica, Julian Hetzel launches a new, subversive product: bottled drinking water originating in sub-Saharan Africa, imported into Europe as a luxury product. This is a grating, edifying, ultimately disturbing social experiment which highlights the inequities and social issues related to clean drinking water.
SPAfrica, a performance about empathy and extractivism. A project that explores how capitalism is connected to racism.
Julian Hetzel and Ntando Cele join forces to explore the limits of empathy – the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing. What if empathy doesn’t change or overcome power structures but reinforces existing privileges? SPAfrica reveals the problematic mechanisms and hidden racism of its working.
SPAfrica introduces a two-fold gesture about extracting ‘liquid empathy’ and builds upon the transaction of resources between Europe and Africa – water for tears and tears for water. On the one hand, drinking water from the sub-Saharan regions is imported into Europe: SPAfrica – the world’s first ’empathy drink’. On the other hand, tears are farmed at the heart of Europe and transferred to the source of the water in Africa. The project juxtaposes the exploitation of natural and emotional resources, exposing neoliberal strategies in the search for alternative raw materials.
In their new creation, Hetzel and Cele question how intangible assets such as identity and cultural background are capitalised on. In the international art market, the cultural background and the identity of the protagonists have become valuable resources for value creation. Is trauma the new gold of the arts?
- Accessibility information :
Presence of spoken texts in English
Show with French subtitles
Biography(s)
About Studio Julian Hetzel
Julian Hetzel works as performance maker, musician and visual artist. He develops works along the intersection of theatre, music and media that have a political dimension and a documentary approach. He is artistic director of Studio Julian Hetzel, an Utrecht based organisation that realises and produces his artistic work. Hetzels creations are produced internationally. His work has been presented in more than 20 countries all around the world. In 2017 Hetzel received the VSCD-Mimeprijs for The Automated Sniper (by Frascati producties and Ism & Heit). In 2019 All Inclusive (by CAMPO and Ism & heit) was part of the official selection of the Nederlands Theaterfestival. SELF by Julian Hetzel was the national entry of the Netherlands at the Prague Quadrennial 2019. In August 2019 Hetzel presented three works at the Venice Biennale del Teatro. Julian Hetzel is associated artist at Kunstencentrum CAMPO Gent (BE).
Since 2021 Studio Julian Hetzel receives structural funding from Fonds Podiumkunsten (FPK) and the City of Utrecht.
About Ntando Cele
Ntando Cele was born in South Africa and is based in Bern, Switserland. She studied acting in Durban and also attended DasArts in Amsterdam. Her work overturns the borders between Physical Theatre, video installation, concert and performance. She combines music, text and video to recreate her own identity on the stage.
Credits
Concept Julian Hetzel and Ntando Cele
Direction Julian Hetzel
Performance Ntando Cele
Dramaturgy Miguel Angel Melgares
Artistic advisor Sodja Lotker, Khanyisile Mbongwa
Music & composition Frank Wienk
Light design Nico de Rooij
Technical coordination Cesco van der Zwaag, Martijn van Nunen
Technicians Bea Verbeek, Simon Kelaita
Technical solutions Merijn Versnel, Guido Bevers
Production coordinator Marieke van den Bosch
Production Cape Town Lungilem Mbongwa
Galerist Cape Town Mpilo Ngcukana
Production assistant Jana Riese
Assistant costume designer Merel van Erpers Roijaards
Mask artist Carly Heathcote
Make-up artist Julia Markow
Prop maker Saskia Hertog
Stagiair Piet van Duijn Ferreira
Video documentation Reynold Reynolds, Bongeka Ngcobo
Video performer Revé Terborg
Photography Alexandra Masmanidi
Special thanks to the volunTEARS and the local hosts of the artist talk.
Produced by Studio Julian Hetzel, co-produced by Schauspiel Leipzig (DE), CAMPO Gent (BE), Theatre Vidy-Lausanne (CH), SPRING Performing Arts Festival Utrecht (NL), Auawirleben Festival, Bern (CH). With the support of: Performing Arts Fund (NL), City of Utrecht (NL), Vriendenloterij Fund (NL), Prins Bernhard Culture Fund (NL), Onassis AiR Athens (GR), 16 on Lerotholi Gallery (ZA)
