With »The Ghosts Are Returning,« GROUP50:50 tells the story of seven pygmy skeletons brought to Geneva from Congo by a Swiss doctor in the 1950s. Unlike many African skeletons and skulls languishing in the archives of European museums, the names, approximate origins, dates, and causes of death of these seven skeletons are known, and their descendants – the nomadic Mbuti people of the forests of the Congo, who are resisting loss of their homelands due to illegal deforestation – can be found. But do the descendants want the skeletons and spirits of their ancestors back? Because what is rarely considered in the debate about restitution is that returning masks, skulls, and skeletons also brings back the spirits that Europeans stole and locked away during the colonial era.
Together with the Mbuti, GROUP50:50 have developed a funeral ritual for the seven spirits, in the hope that they will find peace. The resulting musical performance takes inspiration from laments in the classical music tradition, as well as from traditional Congolese music and the funeral ceremonies and polyphonic chants of the Mbuti, who join the onstage performers as a choir via video.
The Time for Denial is Over
»The Time For Denial is Over« is two-day discourse programme that accompanies the presentation of »The Ghosts are Returning« and invites artists, activists and thinkers from Europe and Africa to further discuss the foundations for a transnational restitution movement.
Members of GROUP50:50 and invited guests – such as Congolese activist Mwazulu Diyabanza (Multicultural Front Against Looting), researcher Sarah Imani (ECCHR), and Lars-Christian Koch (Director of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin, and Director for the Collections of the National Museums in Berlin at the Humboldt Forum – will discuss the significance of intangible cultural heritage and music for the restitution process.
Directors: Christiana Tabaro, Eva-Maria Bertschy, Michael Disanka, Elia Rediger
Composition and Music Direction: Kojack Kossakamvwe, Elia Rediger
Text: Christiana Tabaro, Eva-Maria Bertschy, Michael Disanka, Patrick Mudekereza, Ruth Kemna, Elia Rediger
Dramaturgy and Discourse: Eva-Maria Bertschy, Patrick Mudekereza
Stage Design: Elia Rediger, Christiana Tabaro, Michael Disanka und Janine Werthmann
Assistant to Directors: Luca Maier
Technical Director: Sylvain Faye
Video: Moritz von Dungern, Joseph Kasau, Franck Moka und Elia Rediger
Sound design: Philipp Ruoff
Technical Assistant: Anton Pelzer
Sound and Video Mixing: Daniel Freitag
Video Mixing Direction: Beltrán González
Press and Social Media: Fellow Publishing (Johannes Fellmann, Leonie Soltys)
Podcast: Denise Maheho, Franck Moka, Luca Maier
Research assistants: Abé Jean de Dieu Aybeka, Benjamin Imply Ababa, Julienne Nambinomutu Tatu, Jacques Anzakpangezo
Subtitles and translation: Souzy Boukanayo, Julien Couturier, Julie Guigonis, Katia Flouest-Sell
Production Managers: Pamina Rottok, Nicole Lengenberg und Véronique Poverello
Production Assistant: Maria Pelzer
Artistic Director PODIUM Esslingen: Joosten Ellée
Performers: Ruth Kemna (viola and acting), Christiana Tabaro (voice and acting), Huguette Tolinga (percussion), Kojack Kossakamwve (guitar), Franck Moka (electronics and acting), Merveil Mukadi (bass), Elia Rediger (voice and acting)
Performers in the videos: Josée Agbepa, Jean de Dieu Bongama, Jean-Baptiste Ekaka, Mama Sese, Mukombozi, Anselm Ngobe, Tristan Köster (cello), William V. Murray (viola), Per Hakon Oftedal (trumpet), Josefine Schmidt (electric piano), Maxine Troglauer (bass trombone)
»The Ghosts Are Returning« is a project by PODIUM Esslingen with GROUP50:50 and the Centre d’Art Waza Lubumbashi. Co-produced with CTM Festival Berlin, euro-scene Leipzig, Kaserne Basel, and the Vorarlberger Landestheater. Funded by Fonds TURN2 der Kulturstiftung des Bundes, and the Federal Government Commissioner for CUlture and the Media. With additional support from Fachausschuss Tanz & Theater BS/BL and Pro Helvetia.