Sunday, 11 June, 2023 - 20:00

Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup || Krampa-Trilogie

Doors 20:00, Start 20:30

„Krampa Part One –  Tonight is the Night of of the Krampa!“ (Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup, Ger/Au, 2 min. 40 sec, 2020) 

With: Kerstin Cmelka, McLovla, Sylvia Mentrup and Mario Mentrup

Drawings by Claudia Basrawi

Cinematography: Eric Bell, Kerstin Cmelka

The song “Mira transformes” was written, performed and recorded by Mario Mentrup & Kerstin Cmelka in Berlin, 2020

Supported by Bundeskanzleramt Österreich

Thank you Botschaft, Berlin and Galerie Zwitschermaschine, Berlin

© Kerstin Cmelka, 2020

„Krampa Part Two - Rauhe Nächte“ (Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup, Ger/Au, 4 min. 30 sec, 2021) 

With: McLovla, Sylvia Mentrup and Mario Mentrup

Cinematography: Eric Bell, Kerstin Cmelka

Drawing: Claudia Basrawi

Score: Mario Mentrup & Kerstin Cmela --written, performed and recorded in Berlin, 2020

Supported by Bundeskanzleramt Österreich

Thank you: Botschaft, Berlin and Galerie Zwitschermaschine, Berlin

© Kerstin Cmelka, 2021

Brief info about KRAMPA (a project by Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup 2020-2021):

So called „Krampusläufe“ taking place in the night from the 5th to the 6th of December in Austria, Bavaria, Rhineland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Slovenia often times ended in acts of violence and abuse.

The Krampus is a pagan character taken over into christian tradition of the advent season, where the days get darker and darker (the ghosts that arise on the border of the world of the light to the world of the dark- like at Halloween) especially in the Alps, such as the so called “Schiachperchten” (ugly, satanic-like costumed groups of men after Christmas as well as in Carneval times – at the end of the dark winter, traditionally performing until today – even though in most cases as touristic event -in order to get rid of the ghosts of the winter).

“Krampa” casts the Satan like male Krampus with the female version of Krampa and connects her with Happening and Performance art of the 1960s and 70s, mainly with material actions of the Viennese Actionists (Hermann Nitsch, Otto Mühl and others) as well as Yves Kleins “Anthropometries”, performances that have been (and still are) criticized, mainly because of their potential of male abuse of power and manipulation, at the same time they are still celebrated as pioneers of body art and their sociopolitical impact, the breaking of taboos that changed the art world and infected bohemian post war societies.

The aesthetics of actionist performance art have been quoted and re-enacted many times in various art and design contexts, sometimes also just as form or even as an effect with no real content. Sexual desire, erotic games, vaudeville or pornography via a satanic looking persona have made their way even into the coffee table books of a bohemian soft porn audience.

„Life is Shlock — Krampa III“ (Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup, Ger/Au, 22 min., 2021)

Ein Film von Kerstin Cmelka & Mario Mentrup

Der letzte, bisher längst Part der Krampa-Filme, beginnt mit Vorbereitungen zum Karneval (Perchtenlauf), der nun nicht mehr stattfinden kann. Drei Krampas trainieren in einem leeren Studiogebäude, üben Verteidigung und Angriff in den langen Fluren und desolaten Räumen einer verlassenen Stadt. Assoziationsketten aus der Aktioniskunst, Naked Wrestling, Florentiner Football und codierter Text reihen sich zu einem dystopischen Stream of Consciousness, um in der Transfiguration zur Fauna, der Mutter der Erde, in einem utopischen Punkmärchen zu enden.

Mit: Kerstin Cmelka, Mario Mentrup, McLovla, Amelia Jean Kepler, Claudia Basrawi, guest appearance by Spibywheel 

Kamera und Montage: Kerstin Cmelka

Zeichnungen: Claudia Basrawi, Kerstin Cmelka, Mario Mentrup

Musik: Mario Mentrup, Kerstin Cmelka

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung: Bundeskanzleramt Österreich

WARNUNG! Flickereffekte im folgenden Film können bei manchen Mennschen epileptische Anfälle auslösen. In diesem Film gibt es Szenen sexualisierter Gewalt.