He who despairs of the human condition is a coward, but he who has hope for it is a fool
ALBERT CAMUS

“Can art create a presence and hope of light that is experienced in between - object and observer, self an other, time and space, absurdity and reason? Can it contribute to inner freedom, understanding, joy… honest compassion? With such questions I began the Kingdom of Fools.

For this project, I taught two master pool seminars through the Art institute at the College of Art and design where I was studying. I led other students through a reading of Friedrich Schiller’s letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man and practical exercises in The Art of the Fool, a performative art that I am evolving that focuses on the development of imaginative and creative capacities in individuals and groups. The Art of the Fool works with play, performance and practical consciousness studies within a theoretical context that values absurdity and intelligent naiveté.

A further intention of the project was to create a new form for making and exhibiting art. This new form, which I named the performance exhibit, was intended to weave together performances and visual art into an organically, mutually supportive whole based on a performative theme: The Kingdom of Fools.

It took place over three days and included a curated exhibit of student art combined with structured and improvised performances by the artists.

Johannes Nilo performing Mindsight*

Life outside in the light of day

Sigrun Gunnarsdottir performing Ripples

Kevin Richmond and Maeva Rosset ask the fool in the tower a question

Eun Ji Kim describes how to find the Kingdom of Fools*

It was a feast
as well as a fest

Scaffolding: Tower of Consciousness by Dawn Nilo - - the fool  in the tower (played by all of the artists in turn) tries to sleep, but keeps being asked to intuit the answers from out of the dream.

Hawking my poetry guidebooks for free

Dreierfeier: Ein Bankett an einem Fest
by Internationale Gastronautische Gesellschaft*

Sabine Schälder dancing with her shadow*

Going in... to the dark of night

Shelter by Helena Tapajnová*

a man showed up with a horse!
(in preparation for the performance
Biceps Femoris für Pferd und Spinett by Valerian Maly)

 Fanny Jemmely, spontaneous performance*

Furnace, by Dawn Nilo*

Gradin, dais et Marchepied by Maeva Rosset

Turning round – somewhere closer masks by Fanny Jemmely*

 100ms (Schmetterlingskuss) by Daniela Petrini*

Root by Nienke Bodenheim, dance by Sigrun Gunnarsdottir*

Stefanie Mirwald performs in Root*

Past, Present,Future by Eun Ji Kim

Participating Artists,
including country of origin and mother tongue:

Christelle Becholey Besson, CH | - French
Jasper Bock, DE | - German
Nienke Bodenheim, NL | - Dutch
Regula Bühler | CH – Swiss German
Nadia Catania, CH | - Italian/German
Regina Dahlen, DE | - German
Elizabeth Davidson | Ireland - Irish
Gastronomische Gesellschaft: Leon Heinz, CH und
Felicia Schäfer, CH | - German
Sigrun Gunnarsdottir, IS | - Icelandic
Fanny Jemmely, CH | - French
Anastasija Kadisa, LV | - Russian
Eunji Kim, KR | - Korean
Jisu Lee, KR | - Korean
Stefanie Mirwald, DE | - German
Ioana Maria Mitrea, RO | -Romanian
Dawn Nilo, CA | - English
Johannes Nilo, SE | - Swedish
Céline Oehen, CH | - Swiss German
Taku Okamoto, JP | - Japanese
Daniela Petrini, DE | - German
Mathias Restle, CH | - Swiss German
Kevin Richmond GB | - English
Maeva Rosset, CH | - French
Sabine Schädler, CH | - Swiss German
Polina Skryabina RU | - Russian
Celine Steudler, CH | - Swiss German
Helena Tapainova, SK | - Slovakian
Yota Tsotra, GR | - Greek
Karin Würmli, CH | - Italian/Swiss German

*photo credits Helge Reinald Philipp