Letters Home. Otium
aliveduo
*A day ticket for 15.01. is valid for both ‘Letters Home. Otium & Letters Home. Imprint’ and ‘InnerVoice-dot-ru’
When the Russian war of aggression began, theater makers Alena Starostina and Ivan Nikolaev were forced to leave St. Petersburg. Since then, they have kept a diary, recording their daily movements and thoughts. The four-part performative project ‘Letters Home’ came together like a patchwork quilt over the course of two years. The initial shock of losing their home gives way to waves of melancholy and alienation brought on by the challenges of a new language. However, the photographic and cinematic documentation of Dresden’s natural and urban landscapes has become a source of comfort and inspiration.
The third part, the performative installation ‘Letters Home. Otium’, delves into the space between the act of creating art and the artist’s free time. 16mm film footage of a river journey creates a sensation of looping time. In ancient Rome, otium was the concept of leisure or free time, allowing individuals to step outside the relentless cycles of work and war. Today, especially for precarious art workers, otium becomes a complex concept — a space that is difficult to attain and often feels unattainable. In the context of endless war, otium takes on a somber dimension. Artists continue to work, to reflect, and to create even in the face of destruction. This tension, this persistence in the face of collapse defines otium: both a search for inner peace and an active resistance to chaos.
Duration: ca. 45 min
Languages: English and German
The artists Alena Starostina and Ivan Nikolaev (aliveduo) invite two colleagues with their works – the dancer and choreographer Tanya Chizhikova and the theatre maker Maria Sapizhak – to accompany ‘Letters Home’ with their respective projects ‘Tumbleweed’ and ‘InnerVoice-dot-ru’.
They all see themselves not only as immigrants and citizens of Russia – a country that continues to commit crimes – but also as artists seeking new meaning in a foreign country. All projects move between documentation and artistic fiction, subtly revealing the inner world of the artists – their memories, doubts and the ghosts of lost things. Their performances rely on endurance, openness and interaction with the audience, making them both deeply personal and communal experiences.
The performances are accompanied by works by students from the Class of Moving Images (Klasse für Bewegtbild) at HfBK Dresden, created during the DIARY LAB, which focuses on personal connection, led by Lamia Šabić. These works will be presented in an installative setting in the Ecksalon Ost.
aliveduo, formed by Alena Starostina and Ivan Nikolaev, is an artistic partnership based in Dresden. Both artists studied at the Theatre Academy in St. Petersburg and co-founded the independent collective theatre post in 2010 with a focus on experimental theatre. As part of the theatre post collective, they received multiple nominations in local and international festivals. In 2022, they relocated to Germany, where they continue to expand their creative work across borders. Drawing on their extensive backgrounds in acting, directing, and performance, aliveduo creates innovative, experimental works that explore the intersections of theater, visual arts, and multimedia.
Performance: Alena Starostina, Ivan Nikolaev
Composer: Dmitry Vlasik
PR: Aigul Davletshina
In cooperation with: HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts
Supported by: HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts, Landeshauptstadt Dresden, Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen, Martin Roth Initiative
Invaluable Thanks: Artists at Risk, University of Fine Arts Dresden
