Two Sausages Are Complaining #1 – Tod und Verzweiflung, Charlotte Ruppert & Johanna Maj Schmidt, 2019
TWO SAUSAGES ARE COMPLAINING
In the series of performances “Two Sausages Are Complaining”, the spatial framework/setting remains the same and, in each episode, we introduce new musical references to the space. In every episode, we are dressed in hotdog costumes as they are used by promoters in the city centres in late capitalist Europe. In relation to the static elements, the interchanging songs open new contexts of meaning in-between the different components of the installation. The fixed setting consists of two overly large projections of close-ups of us, playing in loop on two opposite walls. They show us clapping pruriently into the camera. The projectors are placed on stacked up plastic boxes full of old bread. The room smells of old bread. Between the “breadtowers”, four spotlights cast a square of red and yellow light to the floor, creating the stage for the performative interruptions that temporarily drown out the persistent clapping sound from the videos.
Episode #1: Tod und Verzweiflung
In Episode #1, we are jumping into the space, dressed in hotdog costumes, singing bits of Mozart's aria of the queen of the night, especially “Tod und Verzweiflung” (death and despair) with extremely high-pitched voices. The episode ends with a song about Germany, sang in British accent, which connects the German bread fetish and patriotic perfectionism: “Mein Brot ist nicht perfekt, mein Brot ist nicht perfekt. Schade, schade, schade, schade schade! Brot-Schade” (My bread is not perfect, my bread is not perfect. Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame! Bread-Shame!).
Episode #2: Hey
The performance “Hey” is conceived as Episode #2 of the series, in which we are delivering the song “Hey” by German singer-songwriter Andreas Bourani, again dressed as Hotdogs. In his song, the line "Don't be so hard on yourself" is repeated again and again.