Sensationen im Alleingang had its premiere on 28.10.­2005 in the former brothel Cabaret Renz in Vienna. The one-­night-­show completely covered all premises of the estab­lish­ment – when entering the bar one was al­ready in the midst of the action. From here visitors could reach the rooms in the upper floor – from the former booths to the bathroom, corridor, and atrium up to the adjacent building – each of them offering an installation, action or per­for­mance. All of these works, being created especially for that occasion, were designed in such a way so that they could only be experienced alone. At the stair­case a doorman was waiting, letting in only one visitor at a time after showing their ticket. As soon as arriving on the first floor one had to decide for just one room. Each visitor was allowed to enter the upper area only one single time, everyone could ex­pe­rience only a part of the whole action.

Sensationen im Alleingang were not documented, what hap­pened there existed only for the moment and the atten­ding visitors. Photographs of the abandoned places, which were taken right after the action, and eyewitness accounts of the participants retain lore and memories.

The Solo Action

The solo action has three basic rules. Firstly, it can only be experienced alone: every participating solo walker is an accomplice of a singular action. Secondly, it can only be experienced partially: every participant can only take part in one part of the whole action once. Thirdly, it sets up an ‘areal’: the otherwise distinct borders between fictional stag­ing and framing reality are suspended on the solo walk when crossing the threshold to the areal.In order to perceive a space as areal, i.e. a specific staged time-space, it requires a moment of surprise, a kind of ob­stac­le, displacement, distance which clears the path of all the learned security of the habitual – a threshold that is part of the experience. The movement towards the location, the entry into the areal becomes an integral part of the action. For this reason the solo action is always composed of two zones: Before visitors enter the ‘event spaces’ of the areal, they arrive at the ‘interspace’. Its job is to create suspense, raise expectations and at the same time operate as a comm­uni­cation space. It is here that the action begins and here it ends, from here solo walkers head to the event spaces to return afterwards.

Concept & Production / HECK & Moritz Majce

Installations, Actions, Performances / Natasa Berk, Judith Fegerl, Udo Fon, Herwig Kopp, Moritz Majce, Ngoc van Nguyen