The deep sea - the largest and least explored habitat on our planet - fascinates us with its beauty and diversity. In this world of extremes, the creatures of the deep sea challenge people, inspire and broaden the view of life and existence on the planet. In recent decades, its uniqueness and endangerment have become increasingly prominent.

ABYSSEA-thru: ALIEN and ALIVE is a multidisciplinary performance by three dancers whose immigration experiences have changed and challenged them. By referencing the transformative power of deep-sea creatures, they grow beyond traditional conceptions of what it means to be human and approach post-human questions with their transnational bodies.

Gizem Aksu (Istanbul, Turkey), Melissa Ugolini (Pesaro, Italy) and Leyla Postalcıoğlu (Istanbul, Turkey) grew up by the sea and brought their passion for dance with them to Berlin.

Inspired by the mysterious nervous systems of deep-sea creatures, they create posthuman images that deal with the finitude of life under the pressure of environmental and migration policies.

What kind of invisibly wounded creatures are formed in the bodies of immigrants who take on new forms under variable pressures?

What can people learn from these unique creatures living in the extreme conditions of the deep sea, especially when it comes to belonging, resettlement and adaptation?

How can their 'recently discovered' existence inspire us to reflect on undiscovered ways of being, caring and solidarity, and to stand our ground against the dystopian effects of normative, neoliberal, colonial and climatic pressures?

This performance invites the audience to immerse themselves in the deep sea and make experiences of immigration visible.

The dancers take the audience on a journey to explore different meanings of immersion: “As a submersion in liquid, as the absorption of body and mind in an activity or interest and as the all-encompassing entry of a person into an unfamiliar cultural milieu”, as cultural anthropologist Stefan Helmreich explains.

In an artistic dialogue with the innovative algorithm “Sea-thru” developed by oceanographer Dr. Derya Akkaynak, the performers embody this immersive experience anew each evening in order to reclaim the lost colors in their own psycho-physical expression.

Through fluid imaginations from Istanbul, Pesaro, Berlin and beyond, they drag the audience into the depths of the ocean exploring themes such as posthuman diversity, social-political relations, cultural practices and ecological justice.

ca. 75 Minuten

Additional information

A production by Gizem Aksu. Funded by Senate Department for Culture and Community of Berlin.Concept, Artistic Direction, Choreography: Gizem AksuCreation and Performance: Leyla Postalcıoğlu, Melissa Ugolini, Gizem AksuDesign and Creation of Body Masks: Leyla OkanLighting Design: Annegret Schalke, Hanna Kritten Tangsoo Sound and Projection Operator: Gizem OruçMusic and Sound Design: Emre MaliklerUnderwater Video D.O.P: Esra TanrıverdiVisual D.O.P: İlkin EskipehlivanChoreographic Assistance: Aslı Melisa UzunPress and Public Relations: Marcelo Vilela da SilvaProduction Managment: MIFRUSH Production (Micaela Trigo & Urszula Heuwinkel) Production Management Assistance: Nur Bildik

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