On June 1, 2012 TBA21 kicks off the ephemeropterae performance series with spoken word of Karl Holmqvist and Lydia Lunch, followed by the sounds of Christian Fennesz and Zavoloka.

The first of the ephemeropterae series presentes two positions of spoken word practice—Swedish artist and poet Karl Holmqvist and American musician and poet Lydia Lunch—and sounds by Christian Fennesz and Zavoloka. The contribution of Karl Holmqvist consists of 60 minutes long permutation of selected texts read from his publication 'K (jrp ringier, 2012). His live readings are constellations of mantras made of references and quotes of concrete and beat poetry and pop culture. The grand topics are love, gender and resistance. The reading opens and closes with a costume-dance on Another War is Possible remixed by Berlin based duo AIDS-3D (Daniel Keller & Nik Kosmos). In contrast to Karl's monotonous litanies Lydia Lunch brings straight-forward autobiographical narrative of direct expressive character dealing with one's relation to death, the dying of close person.

ANOTHER WAR IS POSSIBLE
RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA
WORDS VS. SWORDS ANOTHER WAR IS POSSIBLE
RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA
WORDS VS. SWORDS
RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TA RAT TA TA
RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA
RATA TA RAT TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA RATTA RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TA RAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TA RAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TA RAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA
RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
RATA TARAT TA TA TA RATTA
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS
MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS MAKE-UP YOUR SOUL
DEAL WITH YOUR DEMONS

(Excerpt from Karl Holmqvist, Another War is Possible)

Karl Holmqvist (born 1964) is a Swedish artist whose work is based on text, publications, environments, poetry and readings of very specific tonality. Holmqvist has exhibited at House of Gaga in Mexico City, Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch and NGBK in Berlin, ICA and Hollybush Gardens in London, Chelsea Art Museum, Moca Miami, The Living Art Museum in Reykjavik, Tensta Konsthall, Manifesta 7 and 8, Performa 5 in New York City, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe, Venice Biennales and many more. His spoken word lp „Hymn to Pan“ was released on Apparent Extent label in 2010.


WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY WHO ONLY HAD 30 DAYS TO LIVE? WHAT COULD YOU SAY?

THAT IN THIS LAND OF ILLUSIONS WE ARE JUST TRANSITIONAL CREATURES
PEEPING TOMS AT THE KEYHOLE OF ALL ETERNITY
THAT THE PAST IS ONLY THE PRESENT CLOAKED BY INVISIBILITY AND THE FUTURE IS A MURMUR OF A MEMORY WE WILL NEVER POSSESS
THE GREAT MYSTERY IS NOT THAT WE WERE THROWN DOWN HERE AT RANDOM BETWEEN THE PROFUSION OF MATTER AND THAT OF THE STARS BUT THAT FROM OUR FLESHY PRISON WE HAVE CREATED IMAGES POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DENY OUR NOTHINGNESS
WE HAVE FORCED OUR WORDS INTO THE MOUTH OF THE UNIVERSE
A GIANT BLACK HOLE TURNED INSIDE OUT
TALES FULL OF SOUND AND FURY MADNESS AND LUST

(from Dust and Shadow by Lydia Lunch 5/12/2012)

Lydia Lunch (born 1959) is an American singer, poet / spoken word artist, writer, photographer, and actress, cult figure of No Wave, former member of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, member of Big Sexy Noise. The Boston Phoenix named Lunch "one of the 10 most influential performers of the 1990s." Her words and tunes appear on dozen releases of/with such artists as Sonic Youth, Einstürzende Neubauten, Birthday Party, John Giorno Poetry Systems, Michael Gira, Henry Rollins and many more.