Thursday, 15th August from 21:00, Minorites cloister
Multilingual reading with musical interludes by Bartolomey & Bittmann
This cross-over between words and melodies, between the Balkans and Central Europe, is a meeting point for verbal acrobats like Ivana Sajko (one of the most important voices of Southern Europe and writer-in-residence in Graz from September 2013) and musicians like the cello player Matthias Bartolomey and the violin and mandola player Klemens Bittmann. This night overcomes boundaries with the help of touchingly open words by the Turkish-German writer Seher Cakir. Belgrad born Barbara Markovic allows us an insight into her mind and draws (in)visible borders with her work “Alexanderplatz” that are running through Graz manifesting themselves through words. An evening that tells stories about overcoming borders in general. Countries, cities, language. and generations.
Matthias Bartolomey and Klemens Bittmann share the love and the respect for their instruments and the sounds they produce. The desire to produce and develop new sound patterns brought them together. Spontaneously and not scared to improvise with jazz aesthetics they combine intimate grooves with forceful rock.
The sound of foreign languages and the use of instruments beyond traditions opens the ears for a communication that shows the courage to improvise and that gives you goose pumps through its strangeness.
Writers:
Ivana Sajko (Croatian writer, playwright, director; Croatian national award for drama, writer in residence Graz 2013/2014)
Seher Cakir (German speaking writer with Turkish roots; awards: exil-literaturpreis/schreiben zwischen den kulturen)
Barbara Markovic (Belgrad born writer, translator; writer in residence Graz 2011/2012)
Musicians:
Matthias Bartolomey – cello
Klemens Bittmann – violin & mandola