3hd 2023: Let Them Eat Cake

Eat the Rich

With Arvida Byström, Caique Tizzi, Cassie Augusta Jørgensen, Élie Autin, Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, Krista Papista, Ludwig Wandinger, Martins Kohout, Odete

  • Dialogue
  • Performance
English /  approx. 240 mins.

An epic two-night cabaret banquet, “Eat the Rich” at HAU Hebbel am Ufer approaches various modes of delightful resistance through music and performance, conversation and food. It’s named after the popular political slogan often used in opposition to wealth inequality, and commonly attributed to 18th century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, then popularized during the French Revolution. A similar sentiment of dissatisfaction with the current order drives both evenings’ set menu, hosted by 3hd and responding to the violence of normativity, colonization, social upheaval, and the erasure of queer histories. 

The eight “course” dinner theater transforms the HAU2 performance space into a sophisticated scene of artists navigating a chaotic landscape marked by death and decay, beauty and power. It’s directed towards giving voice to that which has been silenced through food—somewhat like Rousseau’s otherwise gruesome metaphor warning, “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.” There’ll be no munching on the moneyed class here, except in the event’s narratives of dissent, autonomy, and cultural expression facilitated through the social role of communal feasting. 

Artist and cook Caique Tizzi will provide the apéritifs, engaging the senses beyond just the eyes and ears – through taste, smell, and touch – as a means of connecting with the “Eat the Rich” microworld. The interdisciplinary and intersensory banquet follows a loosely-connected process spanning diverse artistic domains, exploring the possibilities of experimental music theater and musical installations within a platform like 3hd organizers, Creamcake. Arvida Byström explores the future of food and sex in conversation with AI love doll “Harmony,” and Élie Autin dismantles the negative depictions of vengeful Roman goddesses, as well as bacchanalian priestesses who worship the god of wine and revelry. Odete investigates the intersections of magic, history, and transexuality, and Cassie Augusta Jørgensen deconstructs the Western fetish for ballet and sadistic notions of beauty with “Debris in a Skin-Tight Corset.” Hengameh Yaghoobifarah gives a toast and Krista Papista enacts the fight against nationalism, through the reinvention of folklore – constructing a queer phenomenology through destruction. Martins Kohout’s very personal ceremony mourning both the loss of a loved one and what’s left behind in any transition, echoes a collective grief in the face of rising political, economic, and climate uncertainty and a longing for change for the better.

Dates

Past
  • Fri 27.10.2023, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Sat 28.10.2023, 20:00 / HAU2

Further Information

Visitor note

There are no fixed rows of chairs during this performance. The audience is invited to sit or stand at a table built for the performance and to move around the space repeatedly. Alternative seating will be provided for those unable to stand or sit on the floor.
The event will include passages of high volume. Hearing protection is available free of charge at the entrance. This is a dinner performance in which the audience interacts with each other.

Credits

Curation and organization: Creamcake. In collaboration with: HAU Hebbel am Ufer. Funded by: Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

Location

HAU2
Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin

There are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available. Four relaxed seats are available in the first row of HAU2. Tickets for wheelchair users and accompanying persons can also be booked via the ticketing system. If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or send us an email to
tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.

HAU3000 / Positions, Projects, Publications

The Glowing Room

Text by Hendrik Otremba.

An Introduction to “Collectivize Facebook”

By Jonas Staal

“Collectivize Facebook” is a lawsuit aimed to turn Facebook into public property, initiated by artist Jonas Staal and lawyer Jan Fermon. Read here Staal’s introduction to the project.

“Manifestos for Queer Futures”

Video Documentation

As part of the festival “The Present Is Not Enough – Performing Queer Histories and Futures”, HAU initiated an open call for artists based in Berlin, who were invited to submit proposals for their Manifestos for Queer Futures.