The “I AM NOT ME, PLEASE BELIEVE ME !” SERIES is a multifaceted project & exhibition series by Berlin-based artist CAROLA SCHMIDT.
“The question that has always, in my personal life and in my work, fascinated me the most, is: Where does the role begin, where does it end? When is it real, when is it a game? The most fascinating moments are to be found in the space between or the moments beyond, when we totally lose ourselves in something, that is bigger than ourselves.. That’s a really interesting process.”
The Series explores the borders of roles, reflection on identity and emotional states of “being out of yourself”.
In this body of work, all of her different personalities – the director, the artist and her performer/singer alter ego Lulu Schmidt – collaborate for the first time.
She works alongside people who have chosen to dedicate parts of their lives to living with an ALTER EGO they’ve created. Or with those that temporarily lose themselves in a role, without noticing or realising, or that live a parallel secret life. Together they celebrate a playful reflection.
(As, sometimes, in games, the truth shines through more easily).
The FILM/PHOTO SERIES “Would you date your alter Ego?”
the MUSIC-PERFORMANCE & SONG “I am not me!” by Lulu Schmidt–
& the VIDEO INSTALLATION SERIES “Rites of Energy Canalization”)
which melt into one another and make the project an interactive audiovisual performative experience, always responding to the site it is presented in.
The series is an artistic experiment, exploring the architecture of the inner world, the boundaries of roles, self-constructed parallel identities, and the emotional experience of being “outside of your self”.
The ‘sessions’ take place internationally and free of local boundaries or restrictions.
The series is an artistic experiment, exploring the architecture of the inner world, the boundaries of roles, self-constructed parallel identities, and the emotional experience of being “outside of your self”.
The ‘sessions’ take place internationally and free of local boundaries or restrictions.
i´m too weak for my strength – too strong for my weakness,
too dirty for my innocence – too fragile for my arrogance,
scared to be lost – but too lose to be found
too tired to be bothered – but too restless to be grounded
i´m too grown up to play sweet- but too pretty for your pity, too ashamed to play a saint- Im too huh to be aah, I´m to rrr to be aaah, Im to .. to be.. to be ME. I am not me, please believe me!
would you date your alter ego?
The Series WOULD YOU DATE YOUR ALTER EGO is a photo & video portrait project, in which I encourage people who have an alter ego (drag queens, politicians, celebrities, actors, etc. ) to enact an encounter (go an a date) with their alter ego. People are invited to meet their alter ego, conducting a dialogue with their second self.
Where does the role start, where does it end…where are the contradictions, where are the boundaries? A drag queen, a policeman, or identical twins – together they explore the boundaries of their identity and sense of self.
The people are filmed separately and cut together in post-production. Of course, the reactions are often inappropriate, and this is where it gets interesting…
The script is developed together with the artist, who, after an initial improvisational approach, encourages the protagonists to write their screenplays themselves.
These days it’s quite normal to present one’s self in multiple artificial versions; online, via social media; Facebook, etc. Whilst the pressure to self-dramatise is increasing, the ability to be self-critical is declining. But simultaneously, the desire to grasp the actual definition of one’s self, and to control it, is reinforced. The selected personalities are all, whether consciously or not, experts on this subject.
It is the moments of encounter between these parallel identities, whether they are dreaded or desired, that are key for the artist. The contradictions that come to the fore when two identities collide, and the glimpses of frustration as the personalities confront, are poetic in their ability to engender touching, tragic, funny or grotesque moments.