Deva Schubert ›Glitch Choir‹

As part of the summer festival “Shifting Grounds - IN COMMON”

A “glitch” refers to a disruption in the transmission of digital information, such as a distorted image or a stuttering video. It creates a rupture in the perception of reality. Can grief also be viewed as a glitch in this sense?

In the performance“Glitch Choir,”Deva Schubertuses voice and body to translate the moment of digital disruption into analog space, thereby recomposing a lament. Historically, public mourning was long carried out by so-called “mourners.” They were commissioned to give emotional expression to others’ grief over the deceased. The act of mourning simultaneously became a vehicle for making their voices heard—voices that otherwise had little standing in the public sphere.

“Glitch Choir” builds on this tradition of public lamentation. Through word of mouth, an intimate space of multi-resonance unfolds within the performance. Can grief become a collective glitch within this temporary community? What kind of choir emerges from the dissonance of frequencies?

Deva Schubertis a choreographer and dancer from Berlin. In her artistic practice, she places a special emphasis on exploring the voice. Her works operate at the intersection of dance, installation, and digital media and have been presented at institutions such as the Haus der Kunst in Munich, the Kunsthalle Zürich, and the Sophiensaele in Berlin, among others. Her piece “Glitch Choir,” which won the ImPulsTanz – Young Choreographers’ Award in 2024, continues to be performed in various formats and variations. In 2025, she presented her first solo exhibition, titled “Silent Spills,” at the Kunstraum Niederösterreich in Vienna. 

Concept, Choreography: Deva Schubert; Performance: Chihiro Araki, Deva Schubert & local choir (TBC); Dramaturgy:Lotta Beckers; Research:Jette Büchsenschütz; Styling:Magdalena Emmerig

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