Michał Zadara
River of Sorrow – A Performance Law Project
Lecture Performance
Part of “On Planetary Justice”
Ticket also valid for “On Justice #8”
- Performance
English /
45 mins.
A performance far removed from the theatre stage – in courts, at the police station, in government. The “Institute for Performative Law” reports to the audience on the current state of its story: a tale of death, intrigue, corruption, hope and despair.
In summer 2022, over 200 million fish suffocated in the Oder river — one of the worst ecological disasters in East-Central Europe, caused by saline pollution. Yet no one has been held accountable. The police even offered a reward of one million złoty (ca. 235.000 €) for information about those responsible. CENTRALA’s “Institute for Performative Law”* (IPL), working with Greenpeace and a law firm, carried out scientific and legal inquiries and identified the culprits: two state-owned coal companies and numerous officials, including the minister of environment Anna Moskwa and the prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki. But the police refused to honor their own award. CENTRALA is now taking legal action against the police. If successful, the prize will be dedicated to restoring the Oder’s ecosystems and supporting the rule of law and human rights. This performance unfolds in courtrooms, police offices, and government halls — a tale of ecocide, power, corruption, and the fight for justice brought live to the stage.
* The “Institute for Performative Law” (IPL),brings together legal professionals, activists, journalists, theatre makers, and artists to understand and influence reality through artistic and legal tools. IPL is a programme of CENTRALA, an organization founded by artists and cultural managers to carry out projects at the intersection of different disciplines.
Michał Zadara is a Polish theatre director, writer, and video artist whose work engages with the social, political, and ecological challenges of the present. In “River of Sorrow – A Performance Law Project,” he investigates the mass fish die-off in the Oder River and founded the Institute for Performative Law; his work has been recognized with awards including the “Paszport Polityki.”
Dates
Past
Location
HAU1
Stresemannstr. 29, 10963 BerlinThere are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Access to the Parkett by means of a separate entrance with lift when necessary. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available.
