Strategies of Appropriation

In the lecture performance “Situation mit Doppelgänger” Oliver Zahn and Julian Warner examine the process of cultural appropriation in its various forms on the basis of minstrel, pop and folk dances. In a “performative essay” they reflect with and about dance, about the potential of popularization and the construction of authenticity. Starting from this artistic position in the festival, the panel will examine some of the questions raised: What are the meanings of dances, songs, “traditional” art forms or cultural heritage in general? To whom do they belong and who may use them, perform them, claim them? What shifts in meaning result from takeovers from “folk” to high culture or from one cultural area to another? How do such art forms that are perceived as traditions construct themselves, and what political agendas, strategies and intentions are behind them?