Elsa Artmann & Samuel Duvoisin

Interiour Parkour may be considered as an inventory of living conditions in Cologne-Mühlheim, the neighborhood of Elsa Artmann & Samuel Duvoisin, by means of performance art. They invite themselves to the apartment of their neighbors for a short break, transform these rooms by reinstalling presspan boards found in the trash in Cologne-Mülheim and then taking a performative stroll through these rooms. How we are living shows social differences. Mülheim is a perfect example of all the questions arising when we discuss the housing market problems because it is a neighborhood where people with unequal socio-economic resources live together. Due to the differentiated use of the district one social group may easily ignore the others’ reality of life. Artmann and Duvoisin are using dance and performance in their artwork but also incorporate painting. In interaction with the architectural setting dance becomes the artistic medium to make social conditions visible via a physical dimension. The exhibition room offers instructions referring to these situations and questions in order to take action – at first glance they may appear absurd but also playful. Said instructions (‘scores’) suggest actions which ask the acting (or imaginating) visitor to think about existing conditions or differing conditions we may practice first. Thus, a performative parkour is offered enabling a shift in perspectives from the autonomous subject to relationship.

Elsa Artmann lives and works in Cologne.

Samuel Duvoisin lives and works in Cologne.