sisi reconstructed

Sisi, the migrant, the poet, criss crossing cultural borders – a remix created and presented by Sandra Gugic, Augusta Laar, Judith Pfeifer und Sophie Reyer. Using texts and letters, articles and scripts, as well as Sissi’s own poetry (she wrote 600 poems!) the four artists composed their own poetic collage about the Bavarian Princess who became Vienna’s Empress.

The project was born through the collaboration of Schamrocksalon of women poets –the name playing on the German words “Scham” and “Rock” – and the Villa Waldberta, both in Munich.

There were texts, video, a book. (Proceeds from the book containing all the texts presented are being donated to UNHCR, as a way of honouring Sissi’s wish that proceeds from her poetry go to “homeless” children.) There were allusions to Romy Schneider, Lady Gaga, Barbie and to masses of hair, body (Sissi weighed under 50 kilos at a height of 1.72 metres), horseriding, duty, frustration, humour and loneliness. Sissi would have liked sisi reconstructed. And so did I.

And I was so glad to catch up with three of these artists and be introduced to the work of Sophie Reyer. And I was happy to see Harriet from the Vienna Poetry School where, for me, it had really all started.

When Augusta was asked where she’d met Ju and Sandra, she said “Im Puff.” And that “puff”, the Dream Eros, is where I met Augusta, Ju and Sandra, and Carina, Petra, Helga, Lena, Eva, Christian, Rolf, and Ernst. All have gone their own creative ways since and Dream Eros welcomed me to mine and to Vienna. So Friday night brought back memories subversive as I watched how “Sisi” was “reconstructed”. Thank you and bravo!

ps pix subverted by Ju Pfeifer 😉

Sophie Reyer

Augusta Laar

Judith Pfeifer

Sandra Gugic