One figure, many representations: What will you discover? Be part of a lively exhibition with songs by Gretchen from Goethe's Faust I.

Discover your very own Gretchen in my exhibition with music by Schubert, Loewe, Zelter and many others, as well as songs composed especially for this exhibition. Goethe's Faust has been set to music many times over the centuries. And although no two compositions are the same, they are linked by the story on which they are based. Let yourself be enchanted by the literary figure of Gretchen.

Concept

The project takes the form of a musical exhibition based on the character of Gretchen from Gothe's Faust. Various vivid images are created with the help of drama and music. As part of the participation, the audience is invited as exhibition visitors to engage with the theme of perception.

The project is aimed at all people interested in music, art and literature who like to engage with social issues, human diversity and its various forms of expression and our colourful world of thought. Due to the serious nature of Gretchen's story, the performance is not recommended for children under the age of 14.

The aim of the project is to connect with society, to spread my vision for peaceful coexistence and to remind people of the potential that lies within every human being. This valuable diversity is to be made tangible and visible in this project, in the hope of encouraging visitors to engage with different perceptions. In a society where important discussions seem to be increasingly unintentionally influenced by the media and are more and more limited to the internet, the quality of listening and mutual understanding is of great importance. The aim of this project is therefore to remind visitors to listen to their counterparts in dialogue, even if their opinions and perceptions do not coincide.

The public as part of the exhibition

As part of the main idea of the project, I handed out a QR code (leading to Youtube) to every audience member leaving the room. They were informed that within a week they could access a video showing a collection of their participation.

I thought this was a nice ‘give away’ for everyone who shared their images and opinions to see them in an overall picture and get another nice ‘look’ at the different perceptions. It's also a good way to show the viewers that they were again an important part of this project and to give value to their thoughts, however different they may be.

There are three ways for the audience to participate:

1) anonymously writing down thoughts about Gretchen, the tour, their thoughts or painting their own version of Gretchen

2) They can create their own Gretchen using a 3D generator (Meta Human by Unreal Engine: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/metahuman).

3) Placing a star on the image of the version of Gretchen that most closely matches the image they have of the girl in their head. It is very clearly pointed out that this part should not be influenced by the flavour of the voice, but by the overall image and interpretation of the character.

Performances

The premiere of GRETCHEN. took place on 05.05.2023 in ‘Het Oude Badhuis’ Antwerp.

Further performances took place as part of the Blok-Bloc Festival, also in Antwerp.

The Blok-Bloc Festival is a very colourful festival that takes place over four days in a housing estate in Antwerp. Various performances, activities for children and a daily dinner are organised. The performances take place both in empty flats and outdoors on the entire estate. It is a festival where people of all ages and characteristics can discover different styles of art, music and theatre and have a good time in peace and quiet. Blok-Bloc is an event that connects people and invites them to experience the unknown.

‘Having seen Anna's production, I would like to make a few comments. Firstly, it should be said that the form is very beautiful and, in my opinion, helps the audience to understand the character of Gretchen in an interactive and playful way. The scenography used is very interesting and challenges the duality between audience and performers that we usually know. From an audience perspective, it's refreshing to interact with the performer in a different way, and from a performer perspective, I can imagine it must be quite difficult to play so close to the audience! I found the whole experience a bit too long to perform standing up, although I know it's meant to be deambulation.

I really enjoyed the interactive moment that was offered at the end. I know that after the first performance a shortened version was made for a festival, I would love to see this and see how this very interesting form can evolve. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize how important this type of work is, as it provides a comprehensive approach to an area that is often not easily accessible.’

- L. E.

‘Last 05.05.23 I visited Anna Jussen's project ‘Gretchen’, which was performed in the Oude Badhuis.

I was very impressed by Anna's innovative format and concept, the elegant and creative set design and the high level of professionalism put into the preparation. It was obvious that a lot of care and hard work had been put into the project.

It was a great idea to have a tour guide greet us at the beginning and use visual stimuli to make us curious about the subject of Gretchen. I also enjoyed discovering the new pieces written by contemporary composers on the theme of Gretchen in the last part and the beautiful black and white videos. The last note was again interactive, which was a wonderful way to end the performance and let the audience and performers interact and talk to each other.

As for the central part of the evening - a five-piece concert of very different songs by different composers on the theme of Gretchen - I found it a very interesting way to present music. The performers were frozen in a frame while they waited for their turn to sing. The musical preparation was very precise and the piano accompaniment was excellent. In practical terms, however, I found it too long to have the audience standing for so long, which somewhat impaired the concentration on the music for me. I also found it uncomfortable that the performers were standing so close to the audience and not moving. I had the impression that the singing was a little tense at times for this reason. But the resulting image was very strong and aesthetically pleasing. There were probably also too many pieces to maintain the intensity and concentration for everyone.

On a very personal level, certainly because of my own interests, values and prejudices, I became frustrated after a while seeing all these women sitting in cages for so long without finally being released. It was a very vivid illustration for me of the physical and psychological prisons that women in general have suffered from for ages. Despite the historical dimension of the Gretchen theme, I would have liked to see a critical questioning of this dynamic, or at least an awareness of this issue among the audience, rather than a silent and painful acceptance, as it seemed to me. Again, this is entirely personal and does not detract from the special qualities mentioned above. And it may well be that I missed some hints or threads given during the performance.

Nonetheless, this was a brilliant and inspiring evening for audience and performers alike. I was also delighted that there was a continuation of the project a few days later at a different venue. ’

- D. B.

Rezensionen

anna.jussen@yahoo.com

©Anna Jussen