MEPHISTO WALTZ

Spazio Thetis, Venice, IT

September 2011

 

In a black container, a video displays red graphic fractals. Pagnes is dressed as a bride and reads out a text about the scientific relevance between sound and image. In the courtyard, Stenke sits at a plastic-wrapped table with six glasses, tempting to memorise fragments of Faust's final monologue. Pagnes comes to sit at the opposite table. A nurse takes blood from his veins and fills it into the six glasses.

The violinist plays fragments of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz #1, and fills glasses with a white and golden liquid. Stenke drinks the glasses, spilling the liquids onto herself. She slips under the table cloth, over the table and in front of it. With each glass filled by the violinist, her situation turns more slippery, and between fragmented recitals, she slams on the floor and stands up again. Pagnes writes with his blood a phrase on the table cloth. He burns a book and drinks a glass of black liquid. He approaches Stenke and pours the black liquid onto her by kissing. They drink two glasses of his blood, and dance a slippery dance on the spilt liquids, while the violinist plays the entire piece.

 

The performance is based on the version Faust. Ein Gedicht by Nikolaus Lenau from 1836. The corporal actions are accompanied by Mephisto Waltz #1 by Franz Liszt (1859).

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In collaboration with Stephan Knies (Violin) and Vedran Vucic (Graphic fractals)

Photographs by Mathilde Sambo and Eleonora Mayerle