01.10.2024
Turn Turtle Turn series continues with a lecture performance and a reality bang
Performance group Oblivia’s ongoing series on the Anthropocene continues with the second part of the series, Turn Turtle Turn 2 – The Reality Bang, and Turn Turtle Turn – the lecture performance, a solo work created within the frame of the series. The first part of the series, Turn Turtle Turn, premiered at the Munich Biennale in June 2024.
A personal and intimate epic
Annika Tudeer, founder and artistic director of Oblivia, celebrates her 60th birthday with her most personal work yet: Turn Turtle Turn – the lecture performance, a solo on life, death and dodos.
Through text, sound and fragmented dance delivered with great poetic force, Annika narrates the uniqueness and vulnerability of her life, drawing volatile timelines from dinosaurs to Greek mythology and on to today, all the while shedding light on the great dichotomies of living – birth and loss, unwanted and chosen parenthood, childhood and age. During the course of the evening, her personal story shifts more and more towards a universal reflection, that life-long search for belonging that we all share.
An intimate epic about mothers, daughters, ancient histories and everything in between, Turn Turtle Turn – the lecture performance includes musical elements from Yiran Zhao’s highly praised compositions from the music theatre performance Turn Turtle Turn, which premiered at Munich Biennale in June 2024.
The last three performances of Turn Turtle Turn – the lecture performance are a part of Moving in November’s Focus on the Local Landscape.
Premiere 1 November, 2024, Mad House Helsinki
Other performances 2–10 November
The long ago past meets the critical present
How did humanity come to a point where the answer to global warming and the imminent threat of extinction seems to be even more cynical exploitation and a longing for security that has us revering a (fictitious) glorious past?
In Turn Turtle Turn 2 – The Reality Bang, Oblivia looks at the emotional landscapes behind today’s precarious situation of climate change and political backlash by focusing on emotions that seem to accompany both phenomena – like the feelings of loss, nostalgia, and catastrophe euphoria.
While guiding the audience through the multifaceted and often baffling performative journey from mourning to hope, Oblivia explores the possibilities of dissolving and re-interpreting the Anthropocene worldview that is so decisively based on the human perspective only. In Turn Turtle Turn 2 – The Reality Bang, the long ago past meets the critical present and reaches out into the unknown future.
Premiere 20 June 20, 2025, Sommerszene Festival, Salzburg
More information at Oblivia's website
Photo: Saara Autere