For the fourth and final time, Sophiensæle presents the popular spring festival series Queer Darlings, bringing old and new favorites to Berlin. The works of local and international artists deal with personal and socio-political moments of change, transformation, crisis and transition(s). To do so, they overwrite folk dances and narratives, fairy tales and myths from a queer perspective to create humorous, immersive, sensual and imaginative stage worlds beyond binary norms – and celebrate the potential of queer imagination for new visions of coexistence.
The First Flower is a concert-performance which announces the release of Astrit Ismaili’s first solo album produced by The Performance Agency in collaboration with Obsequeen, Lotic, Katu, Colin Self, Nömak, Europa and Mykki Blanco. The lyrics tell the story of the world’s First Flower: a green plant going through a physical and spiritual transition—using beauty and seduction to promote their dissemination, while pioneering in extremely fluid sexual interactions. Queerness is a natural phenomenon within the botanical world, in contrast to the reality of queer communities, who fight for their political existence. All along their poetic journey, The First Flower is confronted with concerns such as beauty standards, gender dysphoria, the commodification of nature and non-binary realities. The music tis characterized by a strong stylistic hybridity: musical theater meets hyperpop and trap, combined with contemporary sound design. Drawing a parallel between the history of flowers and pop culture, the project requalifies contemporary pop aesthetics and demonstrates how creativity can be a strategy to overcome existential limitations; reflecting the artist’s own path.
Darling this started
Hundred million years ago
I know you weren’t here but
There was something wrong with me
Rooted fully into the ground
I could never travel far
Sunwatersoil was not enough
To make me bright to make me
Loved, Love, Loved, Love, Loved, Love, I wanna give you love, We want to be loved.
– Excerpt of The First Flower, © Astrit Ismaili 2019
IN ENGLISH
TICKETS: 10–15 €
