“To die means to live better.”

STARDUST is a participatory installation-cum-performances. It looks at dying as an act of empowerment, self-transformation and radical care to address the social, political and ecological crises that we are currently facing. STARDUST is as much an artistic meditation on dying as it is on living. It hopes to give a glimpse of how closely interconnected we are to each other as humans, as well as to all non-humans and the natural world. By dying, we also let the power structures inscribed in us die, opening up the space for a future that is more caring and socially and ecologically just.

Over a period of eight days, STARDUST unfolds as an interactive, sensorial and living installation. Visitors are invited to write their own eulogies, listen to an audio guide (“Instructions for Dying”) or join in an intimate conversation about dying. The overarching narrative follows the eight stages of death transformation in Tibetan Buddhism: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, White Light, Red Light, Black Light and Clear Light. Based on this, the sound, light and video designs of the installation transform over the eight days. In addition, live sound recordings and an infrared tracking system are used to create a constantly changing live installation.

As part of the installation, seven performers (30 – 64 years old) take turns to perform their individual dying rituals each day. Their themes range from collective burial, letting go and disappearance to healing, remembering and connectedness. On the final day, they perform a group ritual, in which all the eulogies created are turned into dust – a reminder that we are all made of stardust.

This is designed as Relaxed Installation and Performances. Audio-description and Touch Tour are provided for two performances. A care person/death doula is available throughout the whole installation.

Video trailer
Reviews
Notes on participatory installation
Notes on the 8 performative rituals

Premiere          : 20th – 27th October 2024
Venue               : Uferstudios

Co-production  : MIFRUSH Production (Berlin, Germany)
Funded             : Hauptstadtkulturfonds (Capital Cultural Funds)

Team
Artistic Direction & Choreography: Ming Poon
Performance: Veronika Heisig, Lee Mun Wai, Birte Opitz, Vera Shchelkina, Hilla Steinert, Lisa Stertz, hugo-huga x tibiriçá
Choreographic Assistance: Nora Tormann
Stage Design: Sichi Li
Stage Design Assistance: Sangyeon Lee
Lighting Design: Raquel Rosildete
Lighting Design Assistance: Alexandra Úhlarová
Sound Design: Haesoo Jung
Voice (Audioguide): AngieM (EN), Sandra Hetzl (DE)
Video & Projection Design: Harshini J. Karunaratne
Costume Design: Tin Wang
Technical Direction: Frieder Miller
Relaxed Performance: Agnieszka Habraschka
Audio Description: Irene Baumann
Audio Description Co-Authorship: Johanna Krins
Care Person & Death Doula: Alessa Rhode
Graphic Design: Hung Kieu
Translation: Jas Wenzel
Video Documentation: Isabelle Schmitz
Photo Documentation: Olivia Kwok
Public Relations: Marcelo Vilela da Silva
Press Relations: Tom Müller-Heuser
Production Management: MIFRUSH Production (Micaela Trigo & Urszula Heuwinkel)
Production Management Assistance: Nur Bildik

The audio guide “Instructions for Dying” was commissioned by Tanz im August / HAU Hebbel am Ufer (2023)
Space rental supported by the Theaterhaus Berlin
Special thanks to Dandan Liu and SOEX Textil-Verwertungsgesellschaft m.b.H. for the generous support