CHEAP: The Word Falls

In the organizer's words:

Michael Barenboim and the Nasmé Ensemble, Vaginal Davis, Christian Fritzenwanker, Richard Gabriel Gersch, Daniel Hendrickson, Bakr Khleifi, Nele Ruckelhausen, Susanne Sachsse, Marc Siegel, Martin Siemann, Pola Sieverding and Boris Wilsdorf

On the occasion of Berlin Art Week 2025 and the closing week of the exhibition Vaginal Davis: Fabulous Product, the art collective CHEAP invites violinist Michael Barenboim and the Nasmé Ensemble, among others, to its new performance commission The Word Falls, which was specially conceived for the atrium of the Gropius Bau.

The performance The Word Falls by the Berlin art collective CHEAP unfolds as a collaborative piece with fog, music, wrestling, poetry and law. Through an examination of poems and court decisions, the performance explores the mechanisms of complicity and the tragedy of the word. The Nasmé Ensemble's interpretations of classical works - from European chamber music to Arabic and Palestinian compositions - meet the characteristic punk aesthetic of CHEAP. Combined with Bakr Khleifi's virtuosic oud playing, they cut through the fog of denial with urgency and clarity.

"Words do things, we hear. But what are they doing now? Why don't they do what we need them to do? Would it have been more effective if we hadn't used them in the first place? No. Don't get us wrong. We are not against words. We are not anti-word commissioners. It's the words that have suddenly gone rogue. The word falls. What remains is music and poetry, the letter of the law and a string quintet, a bit of ethics and some manufacturing technology, a swing in the fog and nine horn loudspeakers." - CHEAP

Credits

CHEAP
Vaginal Davis - Performance
Daniel Hendrickson - Performance
Susanne Sachsse - concept, text, performance
Marc Siegel - text, performance

Michael Barenboim and the Nasmé Ensemble, Bakr Khleifi - music, performance
Richard Gabriel Gersch, Nele Ruckelhausen - Performance
Martin Siemann - video, light
Pola Sieverding - live video
Boris Wilsdorf - Sound
Christian Fritzenwanker - Make-up

In Arabic, "nasmé" describes a breath of air. Michael Barenboim founded the Nasmé Ensemble with five musicians - students and graduates of the Barenboim-Said Akademie - from various regions of Palestine. It is dedicated to both European chamber music and the musical heritage of Palestine, the homeland of its members.

Bakr Khleifi is an oud player living in Berlin. His music reflects his long engagement with different musical traditions - especially maqam music and the classical music of European composers. He combines the melodic structures and modulations of the maqam tradition with complex and varied rhythms. His playing is often characterized by harmonic elements and expressive dynamics. The focus is on the depth and variety of sound that the oud can produce.

The art collective CHEAP was founded in Berlin in 2001 by Daniel Hendrickson, Susanne Sachsse and Marc Siegel. Their work includes performances, videos, festivals, concerts, installations and radio broadcasts. Vaginal Davis has worked with the group since its beginnings - initially as a guest, later as a central member of the collective.

CHEAP: The Word Falls is curated by Nora-Swantje Almes, Curator Live Program and Mediation, with Edessa Malke, Volunteer Live Program and Mediation, and Savannah Thümler, Volunteer Director.

During the event, photos and video recordings may be made in which you may be recognizable. By attending, you consent to these recordings being used to communicate the event or exhibition.