In music, cantata – a Latin word in the imperative meaning “sings” – refers to a form of multi-movement work for one or more voices with accompaniment. Inspired by the baroque architecture of the Egidienkirche in Nuremberg, the director and performer Lulu Obermayer, together with her brother, the visual artist, DJ and club operator Benjamin Röder, is developing an architectural intervention that transfers the sacred space into a new dimension.
The Egidienkirche, whose origins date back to the 12th century and which lies on the slope of Nuremberg Castle, becomes a place of physical and psychological reorientation. In “Kantate”, organ music and church architecture merge to create a surprising acoustic and visual experience. A minimalist transformation of the space leads to a redefined perception in which past and present come into contact with each other. The organ, as the central element of the work, and the performers’ voices activate the space together. Their bodies and their singing blur the boundary between the human and the celestial and create a space for transcendental experiences.
Lulu Obermayer works in the fields of opera, drama, performance, dramaturgy and choreography. Her works combine historical events with theatrical narratives and allow both fictional and real voices to have their say in order to scrutinise questions of agency and representation on stage. Through her intensive examination of the European cultural canon, she uncovers hidden potentials and retells established narratives. Her art strengthens perspectives that are often overlooked or silenced. Following “Kantate”, she is planning an artistic project about the lives of nuns and monastic life for 2025.