The Monuments | Chapter 9 | We All Own This Better Place

Kühlhaus Berlin

06.12.2023 - 08.12.2023

Site-specific Installation and durational performance

Chapter 9, We All Own This Better Place, served as an early and direct confrontation with collective apathy within the project's evolution. The installation and performance were housed on the ground floor of Kühlhaus Berlin (with free entrance, on view only between 3 pm and 6 pm on the listed days), underscoring the political call for shared ownership and accessibility. The conceptual core revolved around both literal and metaphorical barriers—structures that spectators were encouraged to look through and move past.

The work challenged the comfort of denial by forcing the audience to witness the raw, emotional process of awakening. The performance, led by Mattias Gimigliano, was a sustained act of physical endurance and vocal expression against oppressive, self-imposed boundaries. The chapter's ethos was succinctly captured in the accompanying statement: “If we look through the wall - past what may be comfortable - and dare to break down the barriers supposedly built to protect us, we see what is true. The silently screaming, the fractured voices of the voiceless, the mind-numbing absurdity of it all – it becomes clear. This is a wake-up call.” The durational element served as a testament to the persistent effort required to maintain this critical awareness and fight for a collectively owned reality.

Project by: JAŠA

Performing: Mattias Gimigliano

Quote: Jaša: Lingering Cut, by Maddy Howell / Voice