The Waterbird
The Waterbird
Interactive parade and performance
The parade of the water bird moves along Augsburg’s canals and waterways (UNESCO World Heritage) from the Siebentischwald to the city center accompanied by the sounds of the Express Brass Band and live interludes by, among others, the Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino from Apulia. The first version of the waterbird was designed by Sebastian Giussani in 2022 – this will appear in a new incarnation in 2023, joined by creations from the Afrofuturist artist collective “Kinact”. The inspiration for the sculpture “The Waterbird” is Bennu, a mythical bird from ancient Egyptian mythology, through whose call the world was created. The Greek myth of the phoenix can also be traced back to Bennu. The waterbird unites water and music, stands for the global, as well as the local, symbolizes the cyclical, imperishable – like water, like music.In the Red Gate Park, the parade meets other musicians*, performers* from the local transcultural scene. The bird is freed by water from the sand and dust of the long journey. The waterbird moves on through the old town along the canals, past the fountains in Maximilianstraße to the stage of the Water & Sound Festival in the Annahof, where the French group San Salvador opens the music program.
Contributors
KinAct is an international festival and artist collective founded in 2015 in Kinshasa, Congo and has gained international recognition for its extraordinary works based on found materials as well as for its artistic performances in the streets of Kinshasa during the annual KinAct festival. KinAct aims to use its art to raise awareness in society about issues such as environmental awareness, gender-based violence, corruption, racism and more
Sebastian Giussani is a conceptual artist, sculptor and musician in the field of experimental electronics from Augsburg, Germany
The Munich Collective Express Brass Bandcelebrates since more than a decade in the spirit of the Sun Ra Arkestra or the Art Ensemble of Chicago an unmistakable Brass Band style, deeply rooted in Jazz, Soul, Afrobeat with influences of oriental music from the Maghreb to Afghanistan.
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino is one of the leading Pizzica / Tarantella music ensembles in Italy
Waterbird Performance Group with Temi Sunday Olaniyan, Julien Kneuse Le Ray, Christiane Kuck, Georg Heber a.o.
The cultural association La Paranza e.V. presents ea workshop on PIZZICA SALENTINA dances under the direction of Roberta Pisaniello and Simona Collin on 23.7. from 16 – 19:00 in the Zeughaus The workshop serves to, learn the basic steps of one of the most traditional and ancient dances of southern Italy and auch as preparation for participation in the performance in the Red Gate Park. Interested parties can register at info@waterandsound.de anmelden.
presented in cooperation with the Office for Social Integration of the City of Augsburg
The many different streams and canals in the city forest brought drinking and service water to the city. While drinking water came from spring creeks, service water was diverted from the Lech River in canals. The ramparts at the Red Gate are bordered by an aqueduct towards the open-air stage. This bridge supplied the waterworks at the Red Gate with water from the city forest in the south. The canals in the Lechviertel have been supplying hydroelectric power for over 1000 years. The Lech canals were indispensable for the many handicraft businesses, which used water wheels to drive their machines.