One Sound of the Histories, 2015

One Sound of the Histories, 2015
Isaac Chong Wai
Performance, HD Video 15:43min with Subtitles
Weimarplatz, Weimar, Germany
Photo: Ana Cayuela & Iva Kirova

Weimarplatz was the former Gauforum, where was built by Nazis in 1936 as one of the most important prestige objects for the National Socialists in Weimar in Germany. In 1937, the foundation stone of the “Hall of the People’s Community” was laid and the name of the Square was named after Adolf Hitler Square where 40,000 people participated in the event. In 1945, the square received the name of Karl-Marx, and remained nameless until 1999. In conjunction with the year when Weimar becomes the European Capital of Culture, the architecture was named Weimarplatz. In 2005, the site was renovated to become a shopping mall Atrium and people are not allowed to gather at the square.

In 2015, MFA Public Art and New Artistic Strategies at Bauhaus University Weimar and Kunstfest Weimar 2015 obtained the permission for using the square to realize the performance One Sound of the Histories proposed by artist Isaac Chong Wai. On the 30th August 2015, numerous people were invited to line up in a stringent formation while telling the stories of their life at the same time at Weimarplatz. All participants, as living sculptures, stood and searched for their own memories and told their stories in diverse times in the past. By telling personal memories the present and the past of this particular place interweave to become a unique moment in history, resounding in a spoken noise created by people’s voices.

This project is realized within the framework of ACTING SPACE - BAUHAUS GOES KUNSTFEST 2015 under the direction of Prof. Danica Dakić and Anke Hannemann. Coordinated by Jirka Reichmann. A collaboration between the MFA program “Public Art and New Artistic Strategies” at the Bauhaus Universität Weimar and Kunstfest Weimar 2015 with generous support from Burger COLLECTION, Landesverwaltungsamt, Ordnungsamt and Atrium Weimar.