“On the surface Schlager isn’t political at all, but that’s what makes it political” Wolfgang Seidel

“Pied Piper” can be defined as: a charismatic person who attracts followers, a musician who attracts a mass of people, or a leader who makes irresponsible promises. For Ravensburg I created a three day performance that addressed all of these definitions. Between the 22nd and 24th of April I wandered the streets of the city and serenaded the citizens with an improvised medley of musical styles, mixing German Schlager, Polish Disco polo, and American pop-country. I did not sing any hits, but rather used  the musical vocabulary of these popular and populist styles to create something new, familiar sounds re-interpreted for my own expressive needs. I slowed down and chopped up the music, creating hypnotic bass heavy loops, danceable in the short term but unnerving in the long run.

The performance was a part of the Art Without Audience festival curated by the Neuer Ravensburger Kunstverein.

Photos by Laure Catugier and Nikita Anders
Video Nikita Anders