Brexit Fugue
“Brexit Fugue” is an audio collage made with recordings from the “Cinesthesia – Screen Concert” series at Brotfabrik Kino in Berlin which ran from September 2017 – June 2019, featuring recordings of Yorgos Dimitriadis, Gamut Inc, Simon Goff, Boris Hauf, Steve Heather, Alex Jezdinsky, Joke Lanz, King Penda, Claus Loeser, Chris Long, Andrea Parkins, Gianpaolo Peres, Kaffe Matthews, Minor Tom, Angela Seo, Elliott Sharp, Maciej Sledsiecki, Zsolt Sőrés, Jamie Stewart, Marion Wörle and Xiu Xiu.
While navigating and editing all the recordings, a semi-conscious subtext surfaced, where two classic British films clearly dominated the emerging narrative: “Penda’s Fen” (1974) and “Made In Britain” (1983). Both films were directed by Alan Clarke and evoke contrasting visions of Britain from a pre-Brexit era. Utopian and nostalgic, dystopian and distressing – neither celebrating the “greatness” of Britain nor belittling the strong undercurrents of a dreaming Island, struggling to overcome oppression and in the end not being ashamed of having a national identity, albeit an identity which thrives on its own contradictions. The Cinesthesia series took place during the period in which Brexit became a reality, forcing a deep questioning of what it means to be “British”, discovering a lost nostalgia for times past and awakening fiery visions of King Penda.
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