Im Spiegelsaal

from the Swedish by Katharina Erben in a version by Katharina Bill and Christiane Lehmann "To constantly photograph oneself arises from the desire to bring time to a standstill. [...] It is a kind of protest against one's own insignificance, one's own mortality." (Liv Strömquist) Who or what is actually beautiful? What meaning does beauty have for our lives? Why do we spend so much energy, time and money to approach ideals? And in what tragic ways are the question of beauty and marriage, success and transience connected? On Instagram, we look at ourselves and others around the clock. We communicate through these images, inevitably coming to one of the most existential questions: am I lovable? Because beauty is a resource. Beauty is both a safeguard and an opportunity for advancement. The flood of media images makes the comparison even easier, and the TikTok trend "Be that girl" gets to the heart of the matter: Make an effort!In a tragic way, physical beauty and prospects for success in all markets have thus become even more closely linked over the millennia, especially for female-read individuals. Or is photographing oneself also a protest against the marketing of the body? In the direction of Katharina Bill, seven young, female-read people take the stage as experts on the subject and premiere the latest graphic novel by feminist comic artist and political scientist Liv Strömquist. Between linguistic wit and sublime images, silly gestures and great emotions, the examination of the European discourse on beauty of the last 2000 years becomes a fast-paced lecture performance. The entire team of the production shows solidarity with all worldwide feminist movements that aim at the freedom and self-determination of all people. Due to the current protests in Iran, we would like to say to the protesters on site: We hear you, we see you, we admire you, we fear for you, we are at your side.