Martin Schick, biography / interwiev

MARTIN SCHICK (CH) is a a freelance performer and choreographer from Switzerland, living in Berlin. He works on scenic plays, researches, performative acts and installations, investigating on human economies and the influence of socio-political movements to the art-environment and visa-versa. After visiting a private balletschool he studied theatre at the University of Arts in Berne. Then after a short career as an actor for TV and cinema, he started to work for independent theatre and dance-productions. In collaboration with Laura Kalauz he realised CMMN SNSPRJCT (2011) which is on tour around the world and Title (2009), that was honoured with the ZKB patronage prize 2009 at Theaterspektakel Zürich. In 2012 he realised a solo piece called Not My Piece in the frame of the BBI, that was selected for the Swiss Contemporary Dance Days 2013. He recently worked together with Interrobang in Berlin and is now about to realize 2 new projects: Holiday On Stage (premiered in June 2013) and The Reality Project (to be premiered in 2014, supported by the European network WEB).

 

INTERVIEW

G: Where are you starting from and how?

MS: I was into movies and TV after my art education, but while in the movies the artist (in case an actor can be called artist – I find it questionable. I would rather call him a soldier) is getting formatted, in the field of theatre and even more in contemporary dance the artist can invent new formats. It is one of the few places where conflicts, open questions and failures are possible and even seen as potentials. Although we are a part of the big machine of culture-production, participating in the competitional game and fighting for our authorisation of a subsidized existence or for acknowledgement/ attention, process-oriented working is still possible, while honesty and courage are as valuable as productivity – what a luxury state!

G: Which way are you going?

MS: I expose myself to a certain process, conducted by the theme, the economy of the idea/ project and the people involved (most of this I choose myself according to a present interest, but often also by coincidence). If I had to learn something it is permeability. I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to be fixed on a style of expression or a thematic or even co-working people. Which is a pity… because it is very helpful to be ‘recognisable’ and is a lot more comfortable. But what I am interested in is a state of non-format, of diversity, pluralism and parallel co-existing things and universes.

I must say I am very much influenced by my own situation, basically an economical situation, that is of course very present in Switzerland. Positioning myself in an international context. My favorite lecture is ‘le monde diplomatique’, that is where I get to emotional momentums which are the very first intention to go somewhere.

G: Where are you going to?

MS: I would love to develop towards off-stage/ off-theatre. I don’t like to invent so much, I prefer to transform, basically to ‘do’, instead of ‘talking about’. The theatre then is more like a possibility to express and to get access to people. I am about to construct a learning center for post-capitalist ideas, to buy a bunker in the Swiss mountains and to organize a library in Gambia. In the (further) future I will have a half rotten house in the countryside and write. In my next life I want to be a composer and conductor of experimental music, what I cannot become anymore, as my musicality is rather mediocre.

Halfbreadtechnique is an optimal performance for me and my thematic concern: no set, no team travelling and having access to the people while creating ongoing relations and movements. This is all I can wish for now.