Member of the month October 2026: Frauke Materlik

What makes you work with performance?
Curiosity. It's a wonderful way to learn more about everything and nothing and whatever else in between.The state of being super-focused yet somewhere else entirely is highly enjoyable to me. And then there are some wonderful, generous, smart, and kind colleagues in the field that I can spend my time with.

Do you have any rituals before performing?
I like to drink some water, breathe to check I'm alive, and walk barefoot.

What was the best performance you have done so far? Why?
I'm not really sure how to measure 'best'. Anyway, here are some good memories: One highly enjoyable time was ages ago, during a project in Bremen where about 70 artists spent the summer living and working in a huge housing estate we called 'Sproutbau', which was going to be demolished after that event. The boundaries between daily life, performance, myself, and my alter ego became blurred to some inspiring extent. Another fond performance memory is the slightly ridiculous situation of carrying self-made signs along a road in Newfoundland in 2021. It was a performance about practising to become a 'flagger', a job that was in demand over there that winter. I had some great conversations in the local shop afterwards… Generally, I enjoy most those performances that lead to interesting and surprising conversations and encounters.

Are you currently working on any performance?
Always! I'm constantly reading about the history of plants, at the moment about black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and sugarcane. There is a performance festival coming up in October, hosted by Elke Mark, and a project on mysticism and landscape next year. And hopefully a return visit to South Korea, where I’ve had the most wonderful time as a performance artist, together with Marit Tunestveit Dyre and Kyuja Bae. So let's see how things come together.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in working with performance?
What are you waiting for? Just do it and jump.

Can you give us a few names of performance artists who inspire you?
I get a lot of inspiration from daily life: watching a couple in the car park in front of the building supply store, trying to load an entire bathtub into a far-too-small car, and not giving up. Being born in Hannover, I’ve always had a soft spot for Kurt Schwitters. Manja Chmièl, both as a teacher and performer. And Ine Harrang walking along the shore and into the horizon.

For more information:
http://www.fraukematerlik.eu

https://ort.land/