, December 10, 2019
Who decides what “sound” is? Who would classify it as “music”? In May 2019, former IRC-Fellow meLê yamomo premiered his sound-performance Echoing Europe - Postcolonial Reverberations at Ballhaus Naunynstrasse in Berlin. The performance focuses on recording techniques during colonialism, specifically from 1890-1950 in Southeast Asia and the ways they are exhibited in today's museums as well as their inherent power dynamics. Shortly after the premiere, IRC-Research Associate Stefan Donath led an interview with meLê yamomo about his performance and research. read more
, May 16, 2018
In this interview, IRC-Fellow Andrej Mirčev, a scholar of performance studies, a visual artist and a dramaturge, talks about his research project on "(Un)Framing Icons: Performances of Blasphemy in Post-Yugoslavia." Mirčev explains how he tries to explore the in-between spaces of performing arts, dance and visual art. Working as a curator and dramaturg he positions his research in the intersection of theoretical and practical work with a close focus on intermediality. In the interview, Mirčev explains how he aims to apply the concept of iconoclasm to the performance arts in order to examine the use of religious symbols in numerous harshly criticized performances in post-Yugoslavia. read more
, December 6, 2017
In this interview, IRC-Fellow Platon Mavromoustakos, a Professor at the Department of Theater Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, talks about his research project and interest in ancient Greek drama. Born in Alexandria and raised in Greece, Mavromoustakos explains how he has always been seeing his identity as separated in parts, which proved to be influential for his life and work. After having received a degree in law, he changed to theater studies (in Paris) and was a member of the Athens Department for Theater Studies from its first year on. He is a co-founder of Arc-Net, that brings together the different disciplines working on the subject of ancient Greek drama and theater. In this interview, Mavromoustakos explains his special interest in the category of space and on how ancient Greek drama has been working as a factor of reshaping performance spaces throughout theater history. read more
, November 1, 2017
In this interview, IRC-Advisory Board Member Khalid Amine, Professor of Performance Studies, Faculty of Letters and Humanities at Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco, speaks about his focus on interweaving. Describing himself as “a hybrid post-colonial subject located between East and West and between different traditions”, Amine tries to bridge the gap between theory and practice. As the founder of Performing Tangier, an international festival annually taking place in Tangier, and the Founding President of the International Centre for Performance Studies (ICPS) in Tangier, Amine talks about his efforts to show the positive potential of the concept of interweaving and that of collaborations. read more
, October 25, 2017
For the academic year 2017/18, the International Research Center “Interweaving Performance Cultures” is focussing on questions related to religious and, in particular, spiritual matters. In the context of an opening talk for the academic year 17/18, IRC Senior Advisor Christel Weiler talked about the significance of "Spirituality and Performance" and engaged in a discussion with former IRC-Fellow Koffi Kôkô and the present IRC-Fellows and guests. For those, who could not be present, we share Christel Weiler's introductory notes on the subject here on Textures. read more
, September 18, 2017
Our highly regarded colleague, friend and mentor Klaus-Peter Köpping passed away in June 2017. His death came unexpected to everybody here at the Center. We miss him a lot.
In 2015, artist Thomas Martius published a film, a documentary about and with Klaus-Peter Köpping; a special opportunity to spend some time with the thoughts of this exceptional thinker. Followed by some personal words about Köpping, Martius shares his film Klaus-Peter Köpping, Fellow. in this post. read more
, July 24, 2017

Rustom Bharucha, former IRC-Fellow and Professor of Theater and Performance Studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, joined the conference Open City – Towards an Intercultural Social Center that was held from 13 until 15 October 2016 in Zagreb, Croatia. On this occasion, Rustom Bharucha was interviewed by Ivan Hromatko, journalist at Kulturpunkt, a non-profit web portal that is part of Kurziv – Platform for Matters of Culture, Media and Society, a non-profit organization working towards the development of a critical and analytical discourse in Croatia.
In this interview, Bharucha elaborates on the ideas and challenges of interculturalism and how those could be made productive not only for the idea of a cultural center in Zagreb but also for the challenges arising with the current migration into Europe. We publish parts of the interview here on
Textures – the full-length interview can be read on the Kulturpunkt website. read more

, July 10, 2017
In this interview, IRC-Fellow Balakrishnan Ananthakrishnan, professor in the department of theater arts, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad, speaks about his research interest and current research projects. Specialized in Indian performance studies B. Ananthakrishnan, whose career is marked by a lively mixtures of theater practice and theater studies, explains what role his biographical background played in the choice of his studies. read more
, May 4, 2017
In December 2016, Christel Weiler shared her impressions about a performance called Earthport in her essay "The Art of Encounter" here on Textures. Now, the project's director and former IRC-Fellow Nora Amin talks about the same performance, describing the process of rehearsing and performing from her point of view, and sharing her observations and thoughts with us. read more
, February 13, 2017
In this interview, IRC-Fellow Johanna Devi, artist, choreographer and dancer, provides a personal insight into her artistic career and the choices leading up to the research project that she had pursued at the IRC. Following the stages of her training, she explains how dance and music as well as Germany and India have always been closely interwoven parts of her life. Devi describes the challenges of the project that aimed at elaborating the metaphysical connection of performers and audience members asking how ether or space could serve as a medium for the transportation of subtle energies that communicate the state of the performer to the viewer. read more