ZOE / HAUS MAWU: MAWU LISA

In the organizer's words:

Sagas, legends, folklore and myths allow us to rethink our existence in every direction. That's why I feel drawn to them. In the real world and its history, I often have the feeling of not belonging, of not being told, of having an existence in between. I exist between continents, between cultures, between colors and between stories of different peoples and narratives of different nations. Between concepts, truths, realities. Myths, however, allow us to imagine our own history, to reconnect with our ancestors and to create a space in which we can exist without having to justify ourselves. A space in between that we can expand endlessly. A place without borders where we can meet and imagine a home. And isn't every story just a myth in the end anyway?

Driven by the longing to remember one's own origins and ancestral lines and to create a home, MAWU LISA creates a space for a hybrid, Afro-diasporic saga. Six Black performers meet and embark on a multi-spherical search for their individual and collective, cultural and spiritual heritage. In doing so, they reflect on identity-forming, pop-cultural and political moments and take up colonial images in order to revise them. They explore physically archived knowledge, spiritual practices and family traditions.

HAUS MAWU - independent company under the direction of ZOE
Marie-Zoe Buchholz / ZOE is an interdisciplinary performance artist and curator from Düsseldorf. In her work, she reflects on rehabilitation, transformation and the (re)appropriation of body and space as well as the relationship between power and marginalization. Her artistic practice combines the aesthetics of voguing and ballroom, physical theater, club and free styles, spoken word and vocal music. She was a founding member of the first German ballroom house and developed into one of the leading figures in the German ballroom community. Most recently, she celebrated the premiere of her solo show FEMINA SAGA - Genesis at tanzhaus nrw. With the intention of reflecting realities through folklore, fiction and pop culture, ZOE 2025 founded HAUS MAWU as a space to visualize bodies and stories in a post-patriarchal heterotopia. The company sees itself as a collaborative initiative for various artists, focusing on diasporic, queer and intersectional perspectives. Through interdisciplinary storytelling, multimedia performances and ritual practices, the aim is to transform places, expand aesthetics and create hybrid spheres in which innovative forms and connections between art, identity and community can emerge. With this in mind, ZOE has joined forces with the performers and artists Juan David Mendez, Mandhla Ndubiwa, Maryline Ogboko, Shayne Stubbs and Gifty Lartey under HAUS MAWU to create the first piece MAWU LISA.

In German and English. With surtitles. Loud music.
Duration: approx. 60 minutes

Recommended for ages 14+

CONTENT NOTE:
This performance celebrates diverse realities of life, but also addresses harsh realities, including experiences of racism and discrimination. The production contains passages with explicit language and addresses racially motivated violence.

Physical contact between performers and audience is possible in individual moments. This can be emotionally challenging and / or triggering. We ask that you consider your own well-being and engage with the performance in a self-determined and mindful way.