Art project on Spiekeroog - Director turns North Sea beach into a theater stage
Boxes stand on the sand, in the vicinity, the North Sea waves of Spiekeroog beach are rustling - and before it, a huge, four-meter high theater curtain. There's no better place for their performance than the beach of this holiday island, says Romanian theater director Iulia Grigoriu. The 30-year-old, who lives in Berlin, is the winner of the 10th Spiekeroog Tent Site Residency, a scholarship for public space art projects that the eastern Frisian island grants annually.
The triangular curtain with large red curtains on all sides has recently attracted the attention of islanders and holidaymakers. "The curtain is a strong symbol," said Grigoriu to the German Press Agency. Like a portal, it stands on the beach, offering a way to escape reality, said Grigoriu. The white North Sea beach itself is the boundary: On one side lies the village. Looking through the curtain, the North Sea is visible. The Unknown, said the artist.
A small sign next to the curtain reads "For the Unresolved," which also refers to the experimental theater piece by the artist that belongs to the curtain. "I wanted to be inspired by the stories of the islanders," said Grigoriu. She conducted many conversations and interviews. It soon became clear: Many people had come to the island because of unresolved, interpersonal events in their past, said the artist - out of feelings of regret or because of a loss.
Together with voluntary actresses and actors from the island, Grigoriu staged a performance titled "RED EXIT!" (German: "red exit"), in which the figures carry heavy suitcases. They try to bury their burdens in the sand and eventually realize that leaving for a secluded place like Spiekeroog Beach makes little difference, said Grigoriu. "Because you follow yourself everywhere." Instead, it's easier to carry the burdens of others in community, as they are not your own.
Art projects are funded at the Tent Site Residency that deal with social or ecological issues. A small jury of islanders, artists, and scientists selects the winner from the anonymous submissions, approximately 80 per year. During the scholarship, the artist or artist lives in a tent in the dunes, three kilometers from the village. The place should also serve as a retreat and inspiration.
Her script changed during her stay, said Grigoriu. "I also like experimenting because you sometimes fail. That's okay. In our daily life, we rarely allow ourselves to fail," said the theater director. "But it's important because it offers the opportunity to discover something new."
- Iulia Grigoriu, the Berlin-based Romanian theater director, finds no better location for her performance than the North Sea beach of Spiekeroog, a holiday island in Lower Saxony.
- The large red curtains on the triangular theater curvet have drawn the interest of locals and tourists at the North Sea beach in Spiekeroog.
- Grigoriu's art project, which includes an experimental theater piece titled "RED EXIT!", aims to address unresolved interpersonal issues among the people of Spiekeroog.
- To ensure the success of her art project, Grigoriu collaborated with volunteer actors and actresses from the local community in Lower Saxony.
- During her residency, Grigoriu lived in a tent in the dunes of Spiekeroog, three kilometers from the village, to provide her with a secluded and inspiring environment.
- The German Press Agency reported on Grigoriu's art project, which is part of the Tent Site Residency, an annual scholarship program that supports public space art projects in Lower Saxony.
- The North Sea beach in Spiekeroog serves as the backdrop for Grigoriu's art project, which involves actors carrying heavy suitcases and symbolically burying their burdens in the sand.
