BURLUNGIS – the photos

The photo shows an exhibition view of Burlungis from outside. The double doors of the gallery space Galerie im Turm are wide open. Above, the gallery name is lettered in metal on the stone wall. The stage installation by Irene Fernandez Arcas is visible inside.
Exhibition view of Burlungis. Photograph by Eric Tschernow.

Aye, aye! The gates of BURLUNGIS, our medieval universe and the landscape of our discursive program has closed. Surrounded by mist and mud, it all began as a stage for co-creation between we the artists and you, dear wanderer. BURLUNGIS grew to be a mysterious land… a home for costume-making, play-writing, medieval sound creation, pagan healing practices, Haitian voodoo practices, speculative archives of aphrodisiacs, stories of “scolds”, warriors, and witches. We’ve heard tales of courage, of fear and of cruelty, and we come together in this agora of historical figures and fantasy characters. BURLUNGIS was open to all from 23rd of January to 8th of March 2020 at Galerie im Turm, Berlin.

Together with artists Yoav Admoni, Irene Fernandez Arcas, Samantha Bohatsch, Hang Linton+Laura Lulika, workshop facilitators Dr. edna bonhomme, Luiza Prado, and Ileana Pascalau, and the curators Linnéa Meiners and Jorinde Splettstößer, we say farewell. If you didn’t get a chance to set foot in our bog, or you just want to flare up fond memories, we share some of the images we humbly captured. 

Exhibition views of BURLUNGIS

Photographs by Eric Tschernow

The photo is a frontal long shot of the stage installation by Irene Fernandez Arcas for the exhibition "Burlungis" in Galerie im Turm in Berlin. The stage floor consists of several pieces of plywood, which are slightly raised by a row of birch pieces. The edge of the stage is illuminated by turquoise LED strips. A ramp made of a piece of plywood is attached in the front in the middle of the stage. On the stage on the right is a large red pillow in a figurative form. Two columns frame the installation to the left and right of the stage. Behind the stage, three large banners made of antique white fabric hang from the ceiling, which are painted with colorful figurative scenes. They are illuminated with stage lights. On the left and right of the pillars, two small fabric banners hang on wooden sticks on the wall, which represent coats of arms. Nine smaller banners, which also represent coats of arms, hang above the stage in the same width as the stage. The floor of the entire room consists of stone-gray tiles.

The photo is an exhibition view of the show "Burlungis" in Galerie im Turm in Berlin. On the left side of the space next to the wall there is an old pink couch, behind it in the corner a beige armchair, next to the couch a table whose table top was made from a tree trunk with bark. The furniture stands on a piece of artificial grass in a curvy shape. The rest of the floor is made of stone-gray tiles. Cut tree trunks are scattered around the table as seating. In the middle on the back wall is painted a blue color and an oval shape a lunar calendar. On the right side of the picture there is a monitor on the wall of a column. A lock can be seen on the monitor in 3D. The image section belongs to a computer game. Two objects decoratively hang under the monitor. The left object is a silver armor made of plastic, the right object is a white plague doctor mask.

The photo is an exhibition view of the show "Burlungis" in Galerie im Turm in Berlin. It is an oblique side view of the stage installation by Irene Fernandez Arcas. The stage is surrounded by brightly painted banners and coat of arms made of antique white fabric. The stage floor consists of coarse plywood. In the middle of the stage is a large red pillow with a figurative shape. The edge of the stage floor is illuminated from below with LED strips.

The photo is an exhibition view of Yoav Admoni's swamp installation for the exhibition "Burlungis" at Galerie im Turm in Berlin. The artificial swamp is placed in a corner of the exhibition space. The walls that make up the corner are white. The floor on which the swamp is installed is stone gray. The swamp, which takes the form of a puddle from the corner into the room, consists of a wide variety of materials such as sand, earth, moss, grass, dried leaves, branches, artificial stones and artificial puddles made from dried glue. The edges of the structure are illuminated with three green floor spotlights. On the right side of the picture we see artificial fog gliding above the ground and over the swamp.

The photo is a detail shot of Yoav Admoni's swamp installation for the exhibition "Burlungis" at Galerie im Turm in Berlin. The swamp consists of a wide variety of materials such as sand, earth, moss, grass, dried leaves, branches, artificial stones and artificial puddles made from dried glue.

ALCHEMICAL CREATURES AND ARCHAIC GARMS with Hang Lington+Laura Lulika, 28th of February 2020

Photography by Judy Landkammer

The photo shows a person posing in a squatting position. They are wearing a headdress and a top made of white lace, black leggings and homemade goblin shoes made of black gaffer and white lace. They have put their right hand on the right shoulder and look directly into the camera. The person's body is illuminated by a green light on the ground. The ground is an artificial swamp, which consists of soil, moss, dried leaves and grass. The background is a white wall.

The photo shows a piece of rectangular antique white fabric hanging from a wooden pole on the wall. It resembles a coat of arms. A fire is painted on the fabric with bright red, orange and purple colors. The coat of arms is part of the stage installation by Irene Fernandez Arcas for the exhibition "Burlungis" at Galerie im Turm in Berlin.

The photo shows three wooden poles protruding from the wall. On the poles hang various self-made costumes on hangers. On the ground there are five cubbies, three next to each other and two stacked on top of the three. They are painted grey on the outside and white on the inside. On and in them are various tools for handicrafts. On the left side there are fabrics and clothes on the floor. On the right side we see a black chair and parts of a person. The person is wearing a white costume decorated with lace.

The photo shows two people in costumes. The person on the left is kneeling on the ground at the side. They are wearing a black t-shirt, dark blue jogging pants and a red and beige striped cap decorated with fir branches. In front of them lies a beige waistcoat on which a large red circle is painted. The person paints symbols on the red circle with a brush and white paint. Next to them on the right a person is sitting on a tree stump. They wear a headdress and a top made of white cake lace, black leggings and homemade goblin shoes made of black gaffer and white lace. They hold a small cup in their left hand and look into the distance. Out of focus in the background there is a couch, a table, artificial grass on the ground and cut tree trunks.

The photo is a detail shot of a stage banner. The banner is made of antique white fabric, painted with figurative scenes. The figures consist of single brush strokes. The scene in focus shows five people sitting naked in a circle around a fire. The banner is part of the stage installation by Irene Fernandez Arcas for the exhibition "Burlungis" at Galerie im Turm in Berlin.

The photo shows two people in costumes. The left person is further back in the picture, their body turned to us and out of focus. They are wearing a purple velvet coat decorated with colorful fabric balls along the edges. They are examining the other person's shirt with their right hand. The person on the right has turned her back to us, their face is visible from the side. They are wearing a long black plait of hair and have decorated the plait with grey transparent pieces of fabric. She is wearing a brown jacket with a voluminous white sleeve sewn on. Out of focus in the background there are more costumes and masks.

The photo is a close-up of a side profile of a person wearing a plague doctor mask. The mask is painted with black and blue paint, the upper edge of the mask is decorated with white pearls. The person is wearing a purple velvet coat decorated with colorful fabric balls on the cuffs and button closures. They hold their right hand under the beak of the mask. The eye visible under the mask looks directly into the camera.

The photo is a close-up of a person from the front. They are wearing a cape with a large hood. The cape is brown and red and has white, black and blue painted signs all over the fabric. Under the hood the person wears a beanie decorated with evergreen fir branches. The person is barefoot and stands on a fake rock in a fake swamp that covers the floor. The background is a white wall. The swamp is an art installation by Yoav Admoni.

The photo shows four people on a stage in imaginative medieval costumes. Three persons pose standing, the fourth kneels on the floor in front. In the background we see three banners made of antique white fabric, which were painted by the artist Irene Fernandez Arcas with figures made of brushstrokes. On the floor of the stage are several large red cushions in figurative shapes.

The photo is a macro shot of a row of birch pieces standing next to each other. Above them is the edge of a chipboard. The pieces are part of the lower frame of a stage. On two birch pieces live large dried tree fungi. The birch pieces and the mushroom are illuminated from above by a turquoise light.

The photo shows two people next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Both pose for the camera in self-made medieval costumes. They have their outer fists on their hips. The person on the left wears a patterned fabric ring as headgear and a brown dress that accentuates the décolleté. They raise their chin and look serious. The right person wears a silver-coloured plastic helmet and a costume made of plastic gloves and plastic bags. They are looking into the camera smiling a bit.

The photo shows two people on a stage in imaginative medieval costumes. They pose in front of banners made of antique white fabric, which can be seen in the background. These were painted by the artist Irene Fernandez Arcas with figures made of brushstrokes.

The photo shows a person posing in an imaginative costume. They wear two plastic horns on her head and a long black plait of hair down to her hips. Their left hand is outstretched to the side and shows a voluminous white sleeve. In the background we see antique looking white banners painted with colored figures by the artist Irene Fernandez Arcas.

The photo is a close-up of a person with two plastic horns as headgear and imaginative eye make-up in purple, green, white and black with glitter. They have opened their mouth slightly. Their eyeballs are turned upwards and slightly opened, so that only the white of the eye is visible.

The photo shows two people in costumes posing on a stage. They have one arm around each other. The person on the left wears a patterned fabric ring as headgear, a painted protective mask that looks like a sewn up mouth, a black muscle shirt and black trousers. In their right hand they hold a self-made medallion in the air. The right person is wearing a skull mask and a dress that accentuates their cleavage. In the background hang banners made of antique white fabric with colourful medieval figurative paintings.

The photo is a close-up of a person from the front. They are wearing a cape with a large hood. The cape is brown and red and has white, black and blue painted signs all over the fabric. Under the hood the person wears a beanie decorated with evergreen fir leaves. They cover the left side of their face. The face is slightly out of focus. The upper arm covers the chin.

THE FINAL JOUST, closing event of BURLUNGIS, 7th of March 2020

Photography by Judy Landkammer

The photo shows in the foreground a sandwich-board sign for the exhibition location, Galerie im Turm. It is evening. In the background in the blur, people stand around a fire bowl.

The photo shows a window from outside with the lettering "Burlungis". It is evening. The silhouettes of two people are sitting inside the window with their backs turned towards the camera. In the background you can see the brightly lit fabric banners of the stage.

The photo shows four people inside in front of a large window. Outside it is evening. The person on the far left is wearing a medieval costume. The person in the middle smiles and watches the two persons on the far right playing thumb wrestling.

The photo shows a person from the front sitting at the side of a DJ table. They wear a big pink flower in their hair and have a long red glittering scarf wrapped around their neck. They look into the camera while operating a musical device. In the foreground and out of focus we see equipment, cables and candles.

The photo is a medium shot of a person from the front sitting at a DJ table. They are wearing a hat and a traditional vest. In the foreground and out of focus we see equipment, cables and a microphone. The person operates equipment for DJing.

The photo shows three people sitting side by side on the floor of the stage on a large red cushion. All three are looking towards the camera and wearing imaginative headgear.

The photo is a medium shot of three people around a DJ table. The person on the far left is wearing white clothes, headphones and has one hand on a laptop. The person in the middle wears a hat, a traditional vest and operates DJ equipment. The person on the far right is the only one sitting at the table and looking towards the camera. She is wearing a large pink flower on her head and has a glittering red scarf wrapped around her neck.

The photo shows two people in the foreground. One of them is wearing a black sweater, beige pants and sitting on a tree stump. They have turned their back to us. The second person has blue dyed hair, sits on a chair and looks towards the camera. In the background, parts of the exhibition can be seen out of focus.

The photo shows on the right side a person in focus. They are dressed in white and stand in front of a DJ desk. On the left and out of focus we see several people chatting with each other.

The photo shows three people sitting on a stage. The two persons on the left side on a big red cushion. The third person on the right kneels next to the other two, smiles and holds a flower in his right hand. All three persons are wearing costumes. In the back we see banners made of antique white fabric. They have figurative scenes painted on them.

The photo is a medium shot of a person in front of a green screen. They have black curls, wear a wool sweater and over it a traditional costume dress with a scarf around their hips. With their hands they hold a 40cm long bone in front of their face. Their head is lowered and their eyes are directed to the ground.

The photo shows three people. The person in the middle is in focus, dances, wears plastic horns as headgear and holds a real bone in each hand. The other two left and right are out of focus.

The photo is a medium shot of a person wearing white clothes and headphones dancing in front of a dj table. With the left hand on their chest they are looking into the camera, their mouth looks like as if they were singing.

The photo is a medium shot of four people doing a medieval dance. They are dancing in a circle. Two people are blurry in the background. The backs of the other two people closer to the camera are turned to the camera. The person on the left wears self-made medieval garments in various colors. The person on the right wears a blue jean shirt. Their palms are touching.

The photo is a medium shot of a person wearing a checked shirt in a dancing position. On the head they wear a colorful headpiece made out of trash bags.

The photo is a close up shot of a person wearing a skull mask. On top of the skull mask they wear their glasses.

The photo shows several people standing around a fire in the evening in an urban area and talking.

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