On the occasion of the increasing national chauvinism in many countries in and outside Europe, Christoph Marthaler deals with the loss of democracy in his creation for the Ruhrtriennale 2019. From 21 AUG - 01 SEP, the director of the music theatre transforms the Auditorium Maximum of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum into a world parliament, in which the audience look out from the present and a recognizable future on a destroyed Europe. The musical centre of the project is dedicated to composers from Prague and Vienna such as Pavel Haas, Viktor Ullmann, Alexandre Tansman, Józef Koffler, Erwin Schulhoff, Gideon Klein, Szymon Laks and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. They were deported, murdered or had to emigrate. The music is played in an imaginary parliament, in which members of parliament make documented speeches from the time before the First World War, the present and the near future, testifying to catastrophic ruptures in civilization.

The Auditorium Maximum was built for the newly founded Ruhr-Universität Bochum at the beginning of the 1970s. Its architecture contains a utopian promise. With the large, circular forum, one wished for a common, non-hierarchical public sphere. Our society has moved further away from this desire than ever before, and the energy that formulates such a desire is currently being exploited by corrupt elites throughout Europe and the world. When Bochum University was founded, the first mine closures had already begun. Education and participation for all were the new energy of the future and have made the Ruhr-Universität Bochum one of the most interesting in Germany.

Christoph Marthaler's creation is produced in cooperation with the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. It will be accompanied by a symposium in which, before the Ruhrtriennale begins, local scientists* and international guests will reflect together with the audience on the crises of representation.

INTRODUCTION AND SPECIAL INFORMATION
Introduction 45 minutes before the performance.
Artist interview on 22 August, after the performance.
A production of the Ruhrtriennale. In cooperation with the Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
Language information: German with English surtitles.

Until the 05th MAY there is a 15% early bird discount on all events of the festival. Tickets & further information can be found at ruhr3.com/marthaler.