| September 14th, 2007: All medial traces of the worldwide known artist Howard Katzz vanish within one single night; none of his books have remained in their shelves, all the films are gone, the same goes for all the pictures in museums and galleries, every mention of him on the internet (authorised or unauthorised live recordings, photographies, even biographical notes) has disappeared – no hint of his having ever existed.
The owners of legal rights for Katzz‘ commercial works, his sponsors, labels, museums and publishers are duly alarmed. They fear the loss of capital and jobs. The state attorney started an investigation. But who can be the culprit? Only Howard Katzz himself! He was the only person who had complete access to all the expressions of his art?
The Trial of Howard Katzz is the first trial ever to be aired on the internet. It will be conducted against the artist himself. Did he want to destroy his own reputation or is it an attack against capital? Should he be considered a political prisoner, or a terrorist even?
Howard Katzz is conducting his own defense with every means at his disposal – every attack or objective accusation is met with song, dance or stories. The multimedial performance evolves from this interaction, Katzz must react to various interests: there’s the economy, wanting (maybe for the last time) to buy off its star, the state, expecting a legal clarification; the public, wanting to be entertained. As long as the stream-figures work, everybody accepts to be fed with new stories, lectures on the art of performance or musical interludes presented as defense materials.
The Trial of Howard Katzz is a medial tour de force with the Berlin-based performance-artist Howard Katz, a visually challenging insight into the fight for self-determination. Video, dance and music intertwineshowing the artist’s flexibility in a rigid world. And yet the spectator is always reminded that he is assisting to a power game, this is a legal trial involving the artist not as an autonomous actor, but as a mirror image of the market relations. Who can tell what kinds of influences or even coercive forces are acting upon him.
Concept – Choreography - Peformance: Howard Katz
Music, Lights : Felix Zoepf
Video, Programing and Lights : Yoann Trellu
Funded by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Office for Cultural Issues. Produced by Howard Katz, co-produced by tanzhaus nrw / festival TEMPS D’IMAGES 2007. Guest performances in Düsseldorf and Hamburg funded by NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK with means allocated for culture and media by the Federal Government of Germany and the Cultural / Art Ministries of the Länder. With support from Eliashof, taz and Neues Deutschland
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DEMO VIDEO, 22min 130MB
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