Mystik Art Walk
As part of the art and performance project “Kunst am Wegesrand” (“Art by the Wayside”), which runs from April 30th to September 15th, 2024, international artists will perform in significant and influential locations in public spaces in Horb am Neckar.
The performances will address historical phenomena of the regional witch hunts and tie in with rituals and customs associated with the town.
The persecution of witches is linked to the oppression of women and still has tangible effects today. Negative images of “witchcraft” shape our collective memory and, from an early age, serve as prejudices and clichés through fairy tale books. Anette C. Halm uses the figure of the “witch” as a symbol of resistance against patriarchal structures and emphasizes the power and spirituality attached to this stigma. With the performance march, she recalls the lived history of Horb am Neckar, where the traditional carnival is also anchored. Together with the participants, she follows the traces of the witch hunts as a reminder for the present.
Today, witches are still persecuted in over 40 countries, including parts of Africa, South America, and Asia.
The Performances
Tuesday
30.04.2024
08:00 am
Ringmauerweg
Eskorte (Escorts)
Welcome to the Ringmauer Tower – a place that once stood for borders and protection, but has now become a lively meeting space for a wide range of activities. Sunday walkers and joggers stroll here – and a variety of cats roam the area, turning the path into a catwalk. But there is more to this idyllic scene. Once, guards patrolled the grounds to protect citizens from harm. In her performance, Katrin Kinsler takes on the role of a modern border patrol, which takes place 24/7 in everyday life. Instead of a lance, she symbolically carries a barrier to escort passers-by and ask them about their concerns – because demarcation also means exclusion, an experience that people all over the world share, not only because of their gender. Lack of distance and verbal and physical assaults are constant battlegrounds. The artist makes a statement and creates space for respect and safety – even on the catwalk of the Ringmauer Tower.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Katrin Kinsler
Tuesday
30.04.2024
12:00 pm
Luziferturm
In-fragilité II
Yena Kim’s performance explores the “glass slipper of Cinderella”. The slipper represents the constraints of society and symbolizes not only the dream of a better future, but also the invisible barriers that prevent women, in particular, from going beyond the roles imposed on them.
The performance begins at the Lucifer Tower, which was the starting point for many people accused of witchcraft on their way to trial, imprisonment in the Bürgerturm, or execution.
The characteristics of the duality of the material of “glass” – fragile and transparent at the same time – convey fear, discomfort, and pain at every moment of the performance march. Simultaneously, the Lucifer Tower symbolizes the “history of discrimination” and the route of the march is intended to serve as a sign to counter the cycle of intimidation and imprecation.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Yena Kim
Tuesday
30.04.2024
12:15 pm – 03:00 pm
During the march
Protest for witches
In recent years, the accusation and persecution of African children and women as witches has caused worldwide concern. The existence of witch camps in Africa reveals deep-rooted superstitions and social inequalities, as well as ritualized violence against children. Ezgi Böttger’s black-robed protest is directed against this injustice and demands an end to witchcraft accusations and the return of the women concerned to their families.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Ezgi Böttger
Tuesday
30.04.2024
12:30 pm
Bürgerturm
A Tribute to CR, 1570 – 1618
Britta M. Ischka focuses on the moving story of Christina Rauscher, who was unlawfully accused of being a witch, arrested, and tortured. She was imprisoned in the Bürgerturm for almost a year before she was able to fight the charges as the official prosecutor. This woman’s indomitable spirit and will to survive, as well as her fight against slander and arbitrariness, are symbolically represented in dynamic dance movements. The performance in front of the tower also encourages us to reflect on current social events such as fake news and hate speech in our post-factual era.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography: Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Britta M. Ischka
Tuesday
30.04.2024
01:00 pm
Rat- und Wachhaus
Signum II
Between 1558 and 1671, at least 125 innocent women and a small number of men and young people were accused and convicted of witchcraft. In Memoriam, the artist Andrea Isa blurs the boundaries between reality and the past, while obliviously using fragments of language to create a captivating mystery.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Andrea Isa
Tuesday
30.04.2024
02:30 pm
Marktbrunnen
Die dunkle Seite des Mondes (The Dark Side of the Moon)
Angela Vanini takes up the dark history of the witch hunts: the water test, a method of determining witchcraft. The artist performs at the market fountain, where the events once took place. As she wanders around, repeating herself, getting more and more involved, lost, confused, and drawing comparisons between past and present events, her words echo across the market square until she is physically exhausted.
The performance is intended to invite reflection on prejudices and stereotypes, absurd declarations of guilt and innocence, and even conspiracies about the dark sides of human history and their effects to this day – in prejudice, discrimination, and more.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography: Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Angela Vanini
Tuesday
30.04.2024
03:00 pm
Weißer Garten
The Cleaning
In the “White Garden” at the Jakobsbrunnen, a place of silence and contemplation, the performers come together in a circle around the fountain under the direction of Sissi-Madelaine Schöllhuber and Anette C. Halm. Together they receive the water and pass it on in total silence and internalized calm. This joint act of purification and the gentle splashing of the fountain invite meditation and self-reflection.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
FEM
Sissi-Madelaine Schöllhuber & Anette C. Halm
Tuesday
30.04.2024
12:00 pm – 03:00 pm
During the march
Mystik Art Walk
People leave traces – in their daily lives as well as in their historical development. In the final performance, Sissi-Madelaine Schöllhuber not only collects the remnants of the Horb March, such as paper, broken glass, and feathers, but also uses the symbolism of the broom to playfully stage a reminder of the witch hunts. The action can also be seen as a symbol of our communal and social responsibility for an environment worth living in.
Text: Günter Baumann, Photography : Jürgen Bubeck, Camera: Anette C. Halm
Sissi-Madelaine Schöllhuber
Saturday
15.09.2024
01:00 pm
Kugler
The Cleaning II
On April 30th, the “Mystik Art Walk” led participants through urban space, confronting visitors with the regional witch hunts and, at the same time, with the hectic pace of urban life. Afterwards, participants were invited to the “White Garden” to open their senses.
The Cleaning II is a union with nature. Here we find ourselves in a place that promotes spiritual calm and reflection – a meditative space: The Kugler.
A place to gather your thoughts and focus on your inner world for spiritual experiences.
This performance serves to remind people that despite the hectic pace of modern life, nature and spiritual experiences are still accessible and can be a source of inspiration, healing, and connection.
Anette C. Halm
Sunday
15.09.2024
02:00 pm
Kunstverein Oberer Neckar e. V.
Eskorte (Escorts)
Katrin Kinsler resumes her performance “Eskorte” and escorts passers-by into the exhibition at the Kunstverein Oberer Neckar.
Katrin Kinsler
With the kind support of the Kunstverein Oberer Neckar e. V..
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