CONVERSION

CONVERSION is a site-specific, improvisational performance exploring the intersections of memory, sound, and identity. Building on a partnership established in 2017, Rwandan artist 1Key and German collective Sounding Situations bridge Rwandan heritage with contemporary experimental forms to challenge colonial legacies and reclaim the power of self-definition.
Rejecting traditional performance hierarchies, the project transforms space into an immersive acoustic environment. 1Key’s multilingual poetry and guitar looping merge with Milena Kipfmüller’s experimental compositions. There is no script; the performance relies on instant discourse, creating a narrative where archival recordings dating back to 1907 and live composition coexist.
The project utilizes Rwandan musical materials collected by colonial powers over a century ago—recordings often "stolen" without consent. We "convert" these fragments into a living archive. Expanding on our previous work, Rwanda Records, we aim to rewrite Rwandan mythology. We move beyond external lenses that define the country solely through tragedy, focusing instead on authentic self-description: who we are, independent of the world’s gaze.
To mirror the historical theft of cultural essence, the performance includes a provocative "sampling" intervention. During the improvisation, audience voices are captured and repurposed without immediate warning. This visceral act forces a confrontation with the reality of the colonial archive, turning a historical concept into a live, felt experience regarding consent and ownership.
1Key and Sounding Situations have been pushing the boundaries of international collaboration for years. Their critically acclaimed project Rwanda Records toured major German venues and the International Kampala Theatre Festival. By blending 1Key’s spoken-word mastery with Sounding Situations’ expertise in "performative instruments," the group continues to redefine the potential of urban soundscapes and cross-cultural dialogue.

Bios:

1key is a Rwandan actor and experimental performer known for immersive works that bridge sound and memory. For over a decade, 1key has been a staple of the Rwandan creative scene, recently starring as the Dogon God of Dreams in Saul Williams’ Neptune Frost. For the film—named a New York Times Best Movie of 2022 and a Coup de Coeur at Cannes—1key also translated and adapted the soundtrack.
A self-taught experimentalist, 1key utilizes live guitar and loopers to transform audiences into active participants. His collaborations with Sounding Situations include Rwandan Records, a digital archive of sound and memory performed across Germany and Uganda. A contributor to J. Ivy’s Grammy-nominated album Catching Dreams, 1key brings this multidisciplinary edge to Hate Radio as the DJ and has an upcoming solo album that will be released in February 2026.

Milena Kipfmüller is a German composer, sound artist, and performer working at the intersection of experimental music, archival research, and site-specific performance. Her practice explores how sound can act as a carrier of memory, power, and historical friction, often engaging with non-linear composition and improvisation.
As a core member of the collective Sounding Situations, Kipfmüller develops “performative instruments” and spatial sound concepts that dissolve traditional hierarchies between performer, audience, and environment. Her work frequently interrogates colonial archives, and modes and politics of listening, transforming historical material into contemporary, embodied experiences.
For CONVERSION, Kipfmüller brings her experimental compositional language into a fully improvised dialogue with archival recordings, live electronics, and audience participation, using sound as a tool for reclaiming narrative agency and reimagining collective memory.

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Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut New York