Drinking Brecht: An Automated Laboratory Performance
Soon the tortoise image appeared as if drawn by children,
On the walls of the factories,
On the asphalt floors of the bomber shipyards,
In the tool boxes of the workers.
On the walls of the factories,
On the asphalt floors of the bomber shipyards,
In the tool boxes of the workers.
And where the little one showed herself, awkward and slow,
The tanks crawled weakly from the halls,
The bombers rose up sickly,
The submarines multiplied listlessly.
The tanks crawled weakly from the halls,
The bombers rose up sickly,
The submarines multiplied listlessly.
The heraldic animal of the lower classes fought
With the heraldic animal of the upper ones.
The tawny eagle of the empire unwittingly leaves the nest alone:
And the turtle eats the eggs that were full with disaster.
With the heraldic animal of the upper ones.
The tawny eagle of the empire unwittingly leaves the nest alone:
And the turtle eats the eggs that were full with disaster.
—Bertolt Brecht, “In the Sign of the Turtle” (1943)
Inspired by Bertolt Brecht, Sister Sylvester delves into the political power of “scientific theater” in Drinking Brecht: An Automated Laboratory Performance, creating a multimedia performance that not only tells a story but lets you taste history. Using DNA extracted from a hat worn by actors in Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble, which he founded with his wife in East Berlin in 1949, this interactive installation explores the past and present of genetics and synthetic biology. A documentary in a drink, Drinking Brecht is a celebration of science for the people.
The artist chooses not to accept the award at this time.
Drinking Brecht: An Automated Laboratory Performance
Created by: Sister Sylvester
Country: United States
Date: IDFA 2024
