Weltmuseum Wien:
The Power of Things
Scenes of migration

The Weltmuseum Wien is currently offering a new format, in which visitors are guided through scenes of migration in a mixture of performance, dialogue and museum visit. A review of an evening walk between stories, teapots and the dragon tattoo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

It is a special atmosphere, a sheltered evening mood and the ideal setting to immerse in stories. Night at the museum. “The Power of Things” is a co-production of the group Badluck and the Weltmuseum Wien. Shown are scenes of migration, which give insights into the lives prior to it as well as customs and traditions of different cultures. They are linked to different objects, which were chosen by the artists and connect with their personal stories- from teapots to dolls. In a still museum, attendants are led to various stations, where objects and artists wait and seek dialogue. This journey through “The Power of Things” takes about two and a half hours. Because of the stories and the warmth with which they are conveyed, the scenes of migration no longer seem foreign to visitors. They draw strong pictures, from despair to home.

There is for example the story of the artist Negin Rezaie, daughter of a wise, independent mother. A woman who retained her strength in the patriarchal social system of Iran and transmitted to her children: knowledge is resistance. And resistance is important. Or another one of my favorites, a station that thematized beauty in the context of skin color, reflected by the dancer and artist Cat Monroe Davis. Time passed quickly as we went from station to station. And by the way: Franz Ferdinand actually had a dragon tattooed on his left shoulder. His tattoo was done in Japan, in a 4-hour procedure- he regretted it later.