Maschinenmensch – Performance

#choreography #music #performance #sound art #movement art – Maschinenmensch

A Performative Exploration of the Digital and Technical Influence on Humanity

Maschinenmensch is a striking artistic performance that delves into the growing influence of technology and digitization on human identity and emotion. It examines whether humans remain defined by their feelings or have become mere puppets of external forces—detached, emotionless, and driven by capitalist, performance-oriented ideologies.

The performance critiques the „cold, mechanical foundation“ that seduces humanity with its deceptive allure, reducing individuals to cogs in a system. In this pursuit, people abandon their individuality and emotional depth, adopting superficiality and emotional numbness until they become empty shells.

The project is a call to awaken from this condition, represented as a transformation through two dynamic stages of performance: Blue Part and Red Part.

Blue Part: The Awakening of Sensation

The Blue Part introduces the „cold, empty Maschinenmensch,“ who begins to sense a primal struggle within—a longing for life.

Red Part: Transformation and Reclamation

The Red Part symbolizes the awakening and subsequent internal transformation of the Maschinenmensch. This phase is defined by musical evolution, symbolizing life’s irregularity and individuality.

In the „Red Part,“ music serves as the central medium, portraying a process that mirrors the transformation of the Maschinenmensch through the gradual build-up of various musical elements using a Looper.

The lyrics in the „Red Part“ convey a sense of awakening, both externally and internally. The individual seeks to recognize and affirm that they are not a machine. It is a motivational call to acknowledge this change and a challenge to put this transformation into action. Sometimes, one must „talk oneself into“ something to clarify who or what they truly are and to build belief in it! The longer manipulation takes hold, the harder it becomes to break free from it. Thus, everything conducive to reclaiming oneself and reaching outward should be shouted aloud to initiate and support this vital process of transformation.