We, Hydra

We, Hydra was a group video performance developed and filmed at Helmhaus Zürich as part of the exhibition Am nächsten Tag ging die Sonne auf (engl: The Next Day, the Sun Rose). The Greek myth of the Hydra served as inspiration for the performance. The Hydra‘s connection to water interacts with Helmhaus‘ surroundings, as it is built on top of the Wasserkirche (engl: Water Church), whose history dates back to pre-Christian times.

The image of the Hydra also serves as an analogy for the group performance, where a shared idea is individually processed. The thought itself represents the collective body, while the heads symbolize different interpretations of it. In a group of six people, we developed the central idea through discussions about the myth, performance exercises, and engagement with the themes of oppression and liberation, which ultimately became the core of the work. The chain, as an object, resonates with those topics and was used in every contribution.

Based on prepared action proposals from the performers, Wassili Widmer developed an interwoven performance designed for film recording. Each participant received an individual score that correlated with those of the other performers. Over six weeks, we created and filmed one performance each week, moving through all exhibition spaces of Helmhaus. In the post-produced video, the various contributions come together within the same space, completing the work.

Featuring: Alyssa Berrez, Edwin Ramirez, Judith Huber, New Kyd

Concept and sound by: Wassili Widmer Filmed by: Studio Toericht