ÜBER ALLES

Who are the “heróis do mar” (“heroes of the sea”) that will “levantar hoje de novo o esplendor de Portugal” (raise again Portugal ‘s splendour)? (excerpt from the Portuguese national anthem). Must the generations that enslaved entire nations continue representing what it is to be Portuguese? Who truly belongs to this “nobre povo” (“noble people”)?

In the exploration and analysis of national imaginaries, symbolic, linguistic and narrative elements of great relevance: that infiltrate public discourses about the nation, shape identities and grant legitimacy to regimes. It is in this context that the visual artist and performer Carlos Azeredo Mesquita proposes to investigate some of the most popular national symbols and explore the banal and universal nature of modern nationalism that infiltrates our daily life under the guise of small symbols and linguistic habits that define the idea of “us”.

“Über Alles” is a durational performance in which the performers explore the history and the stories, iconographic and sociological elements of modern nationalism in relation to Portugal, reflecting on the role that these symbols have in the formation of the mythology of a nation and in the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion associated to this process.

BoCA Bienal of Contemporary Arts
at MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology
October 8-9, 2021
Lisbon, PT

Teatro Municipal do Porto
October 29-30, 2021
Porto, PT

Über alles
Artistic direction, research, and performance: Carlos Azeredo Mesquita
Dramaturgy: Yasmina Reggad
Creation support: Luísa Saraiva
Co-creation and performance: Ángela Diaz Quintela, Fabíola Fernandes, Lea Taragona, Luísa Saraiva
Music direction: Julius Gabriel and Lea Taragona
Musical co-creation and sound: Francisco Antão
Executive production: Maria João Santos

Supported by: 
Teatro Municipal do Porto BoCA Bienal of Contemporary Arts
Bolsa de Criação O Espaço do Tempo, com o apoio do BPI / Fundação ”la Caixa”
DGArtes – Direcção-Geral das Artes/República Portuguesa