„WHAT IS UP?“ is an architectural projection on „de Pakkerij“ – a typical Dutch dwelling house in the city center of Enschede / Netherland. It was performed during the International Festival of Arts “Grenswerk” on the 25th of September 2010.
A house located in a dark street. A young man ambles along the sidewalk and returns home. He enters his own leisure area and sheltered home in order to withdraw from the outer world. In its surrealistic occurrence that space does not refer to any realistic scenario. The projection bypasses any extended borderline framing human intimacy – and gives a deep insight to our protagonist`s soul.
By means of a precise fitting projection the whole house turns into a three-dimensional vast room hosting a human being of huge proportions. The conventional physical laws appear to be repealed and strangely linked to the mental processes of the protagonist. Sudden changes of gravity or mysterious modifications of the walls take place. The house seems to have a life of its own.
The house facade thereby marks the dividing membrane between a private sphere and the public space where the audience is located. The architectural surface is staged as a boundary layer similar to human clothing – the facade acts as an interface to people’s deepest privacy. The projection screens this separating layer and provides an intimate view of the young man`s inner life to the audience.
“WHAT IS UP?” focuses on the question of how someone reacts if nothing is like it used to be. The basic Idea was to reflect upon our constructions of inside and outside. It examines the relation between defined physical boundaries of our living environment and the limits of our distinct “soul space“. Despite being challenged by extraordinary occurrences the main character deals with all unexpected effects in a playful way. He easily comes up with solutions. He dances life and simply says ‘WHAT IS UP?’.

Actors: Constantin Georgescu, Angela Kecinski, Till Botterweck
Concept / art direction: Thorsten Bauer, Max Goergen
Compositing: Thorsten Bauer, Max Goergen, Till Botterweck
3D Operator: Peter Pflug
Sound design: iona w.
Bass clarinet: Tomppu Houtari
Box construction: Falk Richter, Sasa Kloos, Dr. Wolfgang Fendrich, Rene de Vries
Set Assistant: Moritz Horn, Andy Rosenthal
Producer: URBANSCREEN
Produced for Grenswerk-Kunstenfestival Enschede
Realized with: Wings VIOSO Server