14. 14 and 15 April 23, 9:30 pm

    In English

    Ort: Sophiensaele Berlin

    Tickets via Sophiensaele Berlin

The concert-performance ‘The First Flower’ announces the release of Astrit Ismaili’s first solo pop music album produced by The Performance Agency in collaboration with Obsequeen, Lotic, Katu, Colin Self, Nömak, Europa and Mykki Blanco. The lyrics tell the story of a plant undertaking a physical and spiritual transformation to become the world’s First Flower. Drawing a parallel between the history of flowers and pop culture, the project queers contemporary pop aesthetics and manifests how creativity can be a strategy to overcome existential limitations, echoing the artist’s own path.

Astrit Ismaili (*1991 in Prishtina, Kosovo) lives and works in Amsterdam. Astrit Ismaili’s performance practice explores the transformational potential of bodies and spaces. Their work proposes bodies that consist of both imaginary and material realities—using alter egos, extensions and wearable music instruments to embody different possibilities for becoming. Astrit Ismaili graduated from the MA in Performance at DasArts in Amsterdam. They are currently teaching Performance as part of the MA Program of Institut Kunst Gender Natur at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FNWH. They have received grants such as the Mondriaan Established Artist 2021, and the Young Visual Artists Awards 2011 and were a resident at ISCP in New York. They have recently opened Manifesta 14, Pristina (2022) and Athens Biennale (2021) with their work and shown further pieces at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (2022); Neues Museum, Nuremberg (2022); Impulstanz, Vienna (2021); Salzburger Kunstverein 2020; Oude Kerk, Amsterdam (2019); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2018); SALTS, Basel (2018); Kunstverein Amsterdam, among others.

Concept, music and creative direction Astrit Ismaili | Music production Europa, Katu, Lotic, Nömak, Obsequeen, Colin Self, Vincent Arp, Tim Roth, Zgjim, featuring Mykki Blanco | Mixing Alexander Bornschein | Mastering Jannis Bentler | Performers Logan Muamba Ndanou, Fabian Reichle | Choreographic advice Vincent Riebeek, Delphine Gaborit | Scenography Carolin Gieszner | Engineer Thibault Hermitte | Light design Veslemøy Rustad Holseter | Styling Natália De Assis | Styling assistant Ana Piñero | Hair and makeup Ana Lima | Artwork Ville Vidoe | Graphic Design Zgjim Elshani | Executive production The Performance Agency.