Calla Henkel und Max Pitegoff. THEATER

In the organizer's words:

Fluentum presents 'THEATER', a solo exhibition by the duo Calla Henkel and Max Pitegoff, which deals with the radical changes in performance today. 'THEATER' marks the beginning of their new episodic film of the same name, the first three episodes of which were commissioned by Fluentum and will premiere there in September.

The setting and location for Henkel and Pitegoff's new film is the New Theater Hollywood, which they have been running in Los Angeles since January 2024. In 'THEATER', fiction and documentation of the performances that take place there merge: the footage of rehearsals at the New Theater Hollywood forms the basis for a story about the character Kennedy, played by filmmaker Leilah Weinraub, who buys a theater with her pain and suffering money after a car accident. In the first three episodes of the film, produced by Fluentum, Kennedy moves into the theater and tries to put together an ensemble there. In her desire for community, she finds herself with the cult-like power it takes to keep a group together, as well as the resolute hope of a better life through fame. In the process, Kennedy is haunted by strikes, ghosts, exploitation and the madness of living amidst other people's ambitions.

For the exhibition at Fluentum, Henkel and Pitegoff tie in with their former adopted home of Berlin: The ongoing photo series Casts (2018-) connects past and current projects as well as old and new (artist) colleagues. 'THEATER' follows on from their last film Paradise (2020-2022), which was shot over three years in the duo's TV bar in Berlin-Schöneberg. Both films thrive on the unpredictable energies of these spaces and the people in them. Lived experiences guide the narratives of the films while posing larger questions about documentation, the performance of work and collective memory. Shot on 16mm film and narrated via subtitles, 'THEATER' also moves between long poem and photography, accompanied by a composition by MK Velsorf. THEATER' will continue in the form of episodes for as long as New Theater Hollywood exists.

Curated by Dennis Brzek and Junia Thiede.