Ringside by Mem Morrison

In «Ringside» Mem requests the pleasure of your company at a Turkish Cypriot family wedding: one that encompasses the horror and pleasure of all those he has attended throughout his life; and that acts as a potential dress rehearsal for his own to come. Using the details of weddings that we all recognise – the floral buttonholes, the family photos, the usual dancing etc. – the audience is invited to the ritual and the spectacle. Meanwhile, via headphones, they hear small, pointed stories that share episodes from Turkish Cypriot family life as well as the unease of a single man in a culture of marriage and fatherhood. A huge success when it was premiered at London’s SPILL festival in 2009, «Ringside» is an enormously enjoyable spectacle that is installation, performance and cultural exploration all in one.

Mem Morrison is a performance artist who draws deeply on his Turkish Cypriot family history to reflect on the more universal human experiences of loss or connection. Over the years he has collaborated with a range of multidisciplinary artists to produce shows that have a strong visual element, which take place in a wide variety of unlikely spaces, from family kitchens to greasy cafes. His audience is at the centre of his humorous and intelligent work which investigates complex issues around acknowledging and accepting cultural difference.

“A gentle and unassuming show that has plenty to say” The Guardian Guide (Leftovers)

19, 20 & 21 January 2012, 20:30 Uhr

At Sternensaal Bümpliz (Tram 7 to Bachmätteli)

Entrance fee: 30.- (Regular) / 20.- (Reduced) / 15.- (Kulturlegi)

Info, Tickets und Reservation: www.schlachthaus.ch (Print at home), Tel: 031 312 60 60 and in the Münstergass bookshop