Performance 2020 - Nezaket Ekici and Shahar Marcus - Presented Live during the Exhibition: Nezaket Ekici and Shahar Marcus "TBQ", Städtische Galerie Nordhorn 21.2.-10.5.2020 Performance 21.2.2020

In the performance "Merge", the two artists Nezaket Ekici and Shahar Marcus stand far apart, unravelling an oversized roll of paper measuring 10 meters long. They face each other and slowly roll the paper inwards, causing the inscribed back of the paper to be made visible. They repeat this action until they meet in the center reading quotations from the holy books of the 3 major religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). In this way, the artists symbolically bring together the 3 major religions on a scroll, in one document. By reading in unison, the artists internalize each other's culture and religion. The performance describes an approach that is physically, linguistically and haptically perceptible in space: represented through distance, physical material, sound, and language. Looking at their joint Performance-Installation TBQ (2019), the artists go one step further with this performance, “Merge”. While they work separately with the holy books of the different religions in the 3-channel video installation TBQ, in the performance "Merge" they bring the religions’ content together for the first time. In the end, a rolled-up scroll is created as a work of art, which complements the 3-channel video installation TBQ as an independent element. (Text Edited: Jono Wang Chu)

Paper Scroll 10x1m ; headsets, sound, costumes, accountant

30 min.

Photos: Thomas Niemeyer, Nele, Nezaket Ekici Camera: Niklas Denneburg, Thomas Niemeyer Video Editing: Niklas Denneburg,