DARUM. Darstellende Kunst und Musik
DARUM is an interdisciplinary art collective based in Vienna, founded in 2018 by current artistic directors Victoria Halper and Kai Krösche alongside with dramaturg Laura Andreß. The group creates performative installations, video art, experimental films, and media art that blur and push the boundaries of fiction and documentary. DARUM's immersive productions take place in unconventional, thematically interesting spaces, and are the result of extensive hands-on research and exploration of various forms of aesthetic expression. With a focus on exploring big questions through their art, DARUM believes in the power of asking "why" (WARUM - German for why) and failing productively in their artistic pursuits (DARUM - German for because).
DARUM's debut performance project, "UNGEBETENE GÄSTE" (Uninvited Guests) and the extended cinema/lecture performance "WAS BLEIBT?" (What's left?), received critical acclaim and were nominated for the prestigious Austrian Theatre Award, the NESTROY, in 2019. Their second performative installation, "AUSGANG: OFFEN" (Exit: Open), was transformed during the first Corona lockdown into an unprecedented hybrid performance film shot entirely in first-person perspective and premiered at the 54th Hof International Film Festival in Germany, garnering a nomination for the 2020 NESTROY Corona Award.
DARUM reacted to the pandemic by searching for alternative forms of performing arts, reimagining "UNGEBETENE GÄSTE" as an innovative online installation called "404-TOTLINK" (www.404-totlink.at) for the 2021 Impulse Festival, and exhibiting it at the 2022 media arts festival "Die Digitale" in Düsseldorf.
In 2022, DARUM returned to live performance with "LETZTER AUFGUSS" (Final Infusion), an immersive site-specific labyrinth filled with the ghosts of Germany's past, co-produced with Schauspiel Leipzig, and performed at the abandoned Stasi Sauna in Leipzig. Their third production, "HEIMWEH" (Homesick), which dealt with the decades-long structural crimes against thousands of children and young adults in both church and municipal children's homes in Austria, was deemed one of the 10 most outstanding productions of 2022 by FALTER and the virtual Nachtkritik-Theatertreffen and has also been awarded the NESTROY Special Award 2023.
DARUM's first experimental film, "FLOATING FLIES" (directed by Victoria Halper), celebrated its world premiere at the Diagonale '23 - Festival of Austrian Film in Graz and it's international premiere at the Seattle Interional Film Festival, USA.
Currently, DARUM is working on new multi-disciplinary projects as part of their 2-year grant from the city of Vienna for 2024 and 2025. Victoria Halper and Kai Krösche are currently working on their first VR-Theater Hybrid [EOL]. End of Life during their residency at the Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany.
2024
Autumn [EOL]: End of Life (VR)
May. The tightrope walker... World Premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival, USA
Awarded the Spirit Award
Winter. Residency at the Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany
2023
Nov. Awarded the Special Prize, NESTROY Austrian Theater Award for Homesick
May. Floating Flies at the Seattle International Film Festival, USA
Mar. Floating Flies at the Diagonale '23, Graz, Austria
2022
Nov. Homesick
Okt. 404-TOTLINK at the digitale, Düsseldorf, Germany
May. Final Infusion at Schauspiel Leipzig, Germany
2021
June. 404-TOTLINK at Impulse Theater Festival (Germany) and Online (Worldwide)
2020
Oct. Uninvited Guests: What's Left? (Remount)
Oct. Nomination for the Corona Special Award, NESTROY Austrian Theater Award
Oct. Exit: Open World Premiere at the 54th International Hof Film Festival, Germany
Jun. Uninvited Guests: Cologne / Impulse Festival (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
May. Residency PACT Zollverein (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
May. Preview Screenings nachtkritikstream Exit: Open (Film)
2019
Nov. Nomination for the Special Award, NESTROY Austrian Theater Award
Jun. Uninvited Guests: What Left?
Mar. Uninvited Guests
DARUM is headed by:
Kai Krösche and Victoria Halper
DARUM's artistic collaborations include:
Thomas Arzt (author), Emre Akal (author), Laura Andreß (DARUM co-founder & dramaturg), Ali Andress (documentary filmmaker and cameraman), Hannah K Bründl (author), Torsten Buß (dramaturge), Shabnam Chamani (video artist), Simon Dietersdorfer (musician and composer), Philipp Ehmann (director, dramaturge and game designer), Arthur Fussy (musician), Julia Grevenkamp (stage and costume designer), Clara Hirschmanner (game dramaturge and designer), Andrea Imler (author), Nora Jacobs (video artist), Kristoff Kepler (illustrator), Matthias Krische (stage designer), Sophia Linhart (designer), Armela Madreiter (dramaturge), Andrea Meschik (stage and costume designer), Roman Mintert (photographer), Alexandra Pâzgu (author), Helene Payrhuber (photographer), Thomas Perle (author), Hannes Benedetto Pircher (essayist and funeral speaker), Tamara Raunjak (stage designer & dramaturg), Roland Rauschmeier (artist and performers), Mario Schlembach (author), Alina Schaller (Journalist and actor), Sebastian Schley (musician), Mark Surges (Architect), James Stanson (author), Andres Stirn (cook), Johannes Weckl (designer), Marla Wiederhold (dramaturg), Simon Windisch (director and author) and Nora Winkler (singer and performer).
DARUM has worked with the following actors and performers:
Wenzel Banneyer (actor), Thomas Braungardt (actor), Ruth Biller (performer and circus artist), Andrea Eckert (actor and voice actor), Denis Grafe (actor), Gunther Hölbl (voice actor), Paul Hüttinger (voice actor), Christopher Hütmannsberger (voice actor), Sonja Isemer (actor), Nora Jacobs (performer), Eidin Jalali (actor), Andreas Keller (actor), Dirk Lange (actor), Markus Lerch (actor), Sandy Lopicic (actor and voice actor), Christoph Müller (actor), Michael Pempelforth (actor), Teresa Schergaut (actor), Aenne Schwarz (actor), Zeno Stanek (voice actor), Susanne Konstanze Weber (actor and voice actor), AntoN Widauer (voice actor, Emma Wiederhold (young actor), Helmut Wiesinger (actor and voice actor) and Eduard Wildner (actor and voice actor),
DARUM has also worked with:
Sabine Born, Florian Bösel, Patrizia Büchele, Lara Cortellini, Isabel Dettinger, Jule Franzen, Siglind Güttler, Franz Hammerbacher, Victoria Horvat, Felix Huber, Aliza Karn, Darija Kasalo, Armin Kirchner, Ulli Koch, Jasmin Kreuzer, Marita Landgrebe, Daniela Müller (SKYunlimited), Dimitrij Muraschov, Susanna Neueder MSc. (Psyducated), Georg Parlow, Dr. Thomas Pletschko, David Rosenberg, Verena Rumplmair, Lukas Saller (PlanB), Bernd Seiser, Christoph Steininger, Helene Subklew, Birgit Wagner, Bernhard Werschnak, Dr. Marion Wisinger, Brigitte Zolles, Dr. Sophie Zwölfer.
Past Coproducers, Cooperators, Collaborators, Funding Bodies and Residencies:
Coproducers: Schauspiel Leipzig (Artistic director: Enrico Lübbe), Impulse Theater Festival (Artistic director: Haiko Pfost), WUK performing arts (Artistic director: Esther Holland-Merten), brut Wien (Artistic director: Kira Kirsch).
Cooperations with: WERK X-Petersplatz (Curator: Cornelia Anhaus), Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest, nachtkritikstream
Support: Bluedrift KG
Funding Bodies: Wien Kultur MA7, SHIFT, Kultur Innere Stadt, Kultur Alsergrund, Zukunftsfond of the Austrian Republic, Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport
Residencies: PACT Zollverein Essen, Germany and Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany
Film Festivals that have screened our productions:
Exit: Open: Hof International Film Festival/Germany, Five Lakes Film Festival/Germany, Experimental Forum/USA (Honorable Mention) and Split International Festival of New Film/Croatia.
Floating Flies: Seattle International Film Festival/USA, Diagonale/Austria, Montecatini/Italy, Canberra/Australia, Flickers' Rhode Island - USA (Semi-Finalist), Brussels Independant Film Festival/Begium, SHORT to the Point/Romania, Experimental Forum L.A./USA (Honorable Mention), Video Art and Experimental Film Festival/USA and Brooklyn Film Festival/USA.
The tightrope walker with his daughter on his shoulders crossing the Danube Canal at a height of 40 metres: Brooklyn Film Festival/USA (Recipient of the Spirit Award for an Experimental Film)
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