Theater against totalitarian politics: The Swiss right-wing populist »Roger Köppel« is possessed by the spirit of Julius Streicher. This xenophobic spirit must be exorcised immediately. The inevitable confrontation ensues: theater against totalitarian politics. SVP versus the power of fiction. An African voodoo priest is prevented from entering Switzerland by authorities at Zurich airport—allegedly due to a lack of work permit. From the airport restroom, he cursed Roger Köppel. In response, a political exorcist steps in, doing everything possible to free the SVP politician and editor-in-chief of Weltwoche from the spirit of the fanatical agitator.
But the SVP wants to maintain its monopoly on inciting hatred among citizens and defends itself (not to mention the SVP's hate politics in Weltwoche: "Gravediggers of Democracy," "The Counterfeiter," "The Most Talented Subsidy Hunters"). An entire country flies into a fit of rage. An empathy-expansion initiative, which engages with Roger Köppel in a factually and argumentatively accurate and faithful manner, results not in the planned »de-Köppelization« but in the total »Köppelization« of a nation. What has long been normalized in politics and journalism—xenophobic attacks, personal insults, and calls for destruction—suddenly »crosses the line« and »violates good taste« when it happens in the arts.
»Left-wing voices have had no say in this discourse for a long time; the only major public debate still taking place in this country is the ping-pong match between the SVP and hyperventilating media.«
»Is it more of a miracle or rather a scandal that supposedly critical and intelligent journalists still, to this day, jump over every damn stick Blocher holds out to them?«
»The actions of the Center for Political Beauty are drastic; they provoke. These are large-scale productions that pit society, politics, and the media against each other. Without a fixed stage or permanent ensemble. Every visitor, every Facebook friend, every journalist becomes part of the performance.«
And this is what it looked like, the “most dangerous campaign« ever produced by the theater according to the Swiss media: On the website alone, Roger Köppel was cursed well over 800,000 times (!) in the first four days of the campaign. In the end, the non-lethal “compulsive masturbation« won.
Björn Höcke has praised the Center for Political Beauty as a »terrorist group«. Get close to the action and become an accomplice to a terrorist organization so far sadly recognized only by Höcke, Erdogan, and the Free State of Thuringia! As an accomplice you will make an invaluable contribution to inciting public unrest in the service of aggressive humanism. Nowhere else will you receive more unrest and dissent for every donated Euro.
Roger Köppel, Weltwoche, and its employees are being blessed in the Cantonal Council! All that's missing now is the blessing of his car and bicycle.
»With an obsessive compulsion, the majority of visitors want to curse Zurich's SVP National Councilor Roger Köppel.«
»The Zurich city SVP immediately sent out a statement yesterday, demanding 'the immediate cessation of all subsidies to the Neumarkt Theater.' The action, they said, 'can no longer be surpassed in terms of dull primitiveness' and 'has proven that intellectual has nothing to do with intelligent.'«
»It has become fashionable to express outrage over the 'de-Köppelization' at the Neumarkt Theater. Annoyance over the unspeakable action is now considered proper decorum. Calls from politicians to cut the theater's subsidies are growing louder. Even cultural workers have joined in. One playwright said his piece was interrupted on the Neumarkt stage, but it continues to play—out in the public, in the media, in politics—and everyone is taking part.«
»The Zurich City SVP stated in a press release that the announced action by the subsidized theater 'can no longer be surpassed in terms of dull primitiveness.' They sharply criticize the comparison to the Stürmer publisher and the call to intrude into Köppel’s private life. The SVP protests 'in the strongest possible terms and with great vehemence' against the incitement. They demand that this must have personnel consequences—'at all levels.'«
»A mindless real-life satire. Has it already been forgotten? The same jokers demanded last autumn in the Zurich street magazine Surprise to 'kill Roger Köppel.' Today, wishing for the already condemned man to suffer from foot-and-mouth disease (or a similar ailment) amounts, de jure, to a pardon.«
»Satirist Andreas Thiel calls the action 'incitement to hatred.' However, Thiel's statement has nothing to do with reality: On Friday evening, only 100 theatergoers followed Ruch's action, which led from the Neumarkt Theater to Tiefenbrunnen station. None of them appeared incited.«
»The full extent of the intellectual shipwreck behind the action becomes apparent in the fact that the public is being called upon to participate. Anyone who wishes can 'legally curse' Roger Köppel online with a simple mouse click.«
»The long-standing SP faction leader in the municipal council emphasizes that cultural criticism is not a political task. She points to artistic freedom. She can understand that it is uncomfortable for Köppel to be at the center of such an action.«
»The exorcism farce is especially foolish because, as a primitive provocation, it achieves only one thing: that a public figure, whose entanglement of political and journalistic interests comes with a high Berlusconi factor, ends up receiving a wave of solidarity.«
»The initiators of the art action, meanwhile, remain conspicuously calm. Their primary concern, they say, is to 'finally take Roger Köppel seriously.' The action is not an attack on Köppel—quite the opposite. 'We consider him to be a deeply worthy person who must be freed from the spirit of Julius Streicher.'«
»It crosses the red line and is in bad taste," said Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch (SP) on Wednesday in the municipal council.«
»The Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA) described the 'curse celebration' as 'unworthy of a cultural institution.' It calls on the public: 'Pray for Roger Köppel, his family, his health, his work, and his calling!'«
»The event engages in 'slander, insults, and incitement,' says Andreas Thiel in an interview with the Sonntagszeitung. The Bernese satirist calls for the theater's subsidies to be cut. According to Thiel, Ruch and his group used 'methods of defamation' that 'are known from the Nazis.' Anyone who has ever been subjected to such a smear campaign knows its impact.«
»The theater crossed a line with the "Voodoo" action. "Roger Köppel's privacy must be respected," demands Frei. Migros made this clear to those responsible. Despite the criticism, main sponsor Migros plans to continue financially supporting the theater. "We are planning long-term," says Frei, drawing a comparison to sports: "A football player who commits a serious foul still continues to receive sponsorship money." The other two major sponsors of the Neumarkt Theater—ZKB and SwissRe—share this view, as they confirmed upon inquiry.«
»Switzerland – where journalists parrot the sponsors (see quote in the middle).
"When a foul occurs in football, you don’t fire the coach and the other players. Even less so do you question the entire game. That would be disastrous.«
»In recent days, the theater management had continued to defend the action, pointing out that artistic freedom should not be restricted—though with visibly dwindling conviction.«
»The Swiss Evangelical Alliance offered a counter-proposal: in a press release dated March 18, it called on all Christians to "stand in blessing for all those involved." The Bishops' Conference declined to comment. The episcopal vicar in the Diocese of Chur, who is also an exorcist, was unavailable for comment.«
»The "de-Köppelization« was a very foolish theater action. Clumsy, juvenile, and primitive.«
»In recent days, the theater management had continued to defend the action, citing that artistic freedom should not be restricted—though with visibly diminishing conviction.«
»Whether the exorcism at Tiefenbrunnen was ultimately successful remained unclear: the exorcist fled, screaming. Municipal president Markus Ernst (FDP) criticized the planned happening yesterday as "completely inappropriate. Moreover, it creates unnecessary hassle for us, just because someone is staging a media-friendly action.«
»Riotous artist performs voodoo ritual.«
»The question remains why the 'de-Köppelization' failed so badly. The answer is simple: [...] Roger Köppel is not a Nazi, and he has never called for murder. However, he knows that he gains attention and sympathy when he is constantly scandalized. That’s why Köppel has always used the strategy of crossing boundaries, which is also the source of his fame.
Editor's note: The fact that SVP National Councilor Roger Köppel recently admired Hermann Göring in an editorial of Weltwoche, the man who gave the order for the 'Final Solution to the Jewish Question,' without mentioning this detail, is considered acceptable in Switzerland.«
»Politicians from all parties reacted with outrage and anger to the action. There were also furious speeches in the municipal council. Mayor Corine Mauch (SP) called the theater project "tasteless« in a statement, saying it crossed the "red line.«
»Franz Hohler refers to it as a 'Wild West method.' Screenwriter and author Charles Lewinsky calls the action 'self-indulgent nonsense.' He argues that political opponents should be fought with arguments 'and not with childish insults.' Criticism also comes from author Adolf Muschg: 'I thought Donald Trump was the lowest point—but apparently, it can get even dumber.' The denunciation style of the event at the Neumarkt Theater is 'terrible and dangerous.'«
»Out of Zurich! Without any pay!«
»Fundamentally, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that in twenty years, another artist launches a provocation that is universally dismissed as primitive and juvenile. And then people will say: 'Well, Philipp Ruch was at least original, but this is just crude and stupid.'«
»Whoever pays, commands. Aside from matters of taste, the political punitive action reveals a quasi-pre-democratic, feudal understanding of democracy.«
The artistic director of the Center for Political Beauty must, as emotions run high in the country, face questions and provide answers on Schawinski (SRF).
The experienced exorcist Reto de Samoto hears Köppel's statement from a Schawinski episode: "Christoph Blocher embodies the highest state power we have in this country: the people.« In response, he demands: Expropriate Blocher! Ban millionaires from purchasing media! And abolish the right of political parties to launch popular initiatives.
Foto: Caspar Urban Weber
Throughout the entire time, Stürmer-style Weltwoche boxes were displayed in front of the theater. »Swiss citizen: Read Weltwoche« and »Gain clarity on the refugee question.«
A full three days after the action, a completed motion is already before the Zurich City Council to cut all subsidies to the theater.
23.03.2016, Audio report
Politics and city in fear: the performance was not allowed to leave the city limits of Zurich. +++ It had to be exorcised at the city border! +++ The audience listens to the historic sentence from Christoph "Trump" Blocher: "When the minority starts setting the law over the majority, we have a dictatorship." +++ Political extremism in Switzerland commands 3.6 billion Swiss francs in private wealth. +++ The money is in the hands of a chemical industrialist who paralyzes the country with his obscure ideas. +++ Since 2009, the Swiss have approved several SVP initiatives, including: "Against the construction of minarets" (57 percent voted yes), "For the deportation of criminal foreigners" (53 percent voted yes), and "Against mass immigration" (50.3 percent voted yes).
Deutschlandradio the 18.3.2016
»The question that the Center for Political Beauty is probably asking is different: Are the media allowed to do this? To repeatedly vilify foreigners, spread claims, [...] outright lies. They turn the tables. [...] What is art allowed to do? This action isn’t interested in that question at all. It’s about seeing what it triggers in the sense of a social sculpture. [...] And the almost unanimous reactions prove them right: People act as if it’s attacking the most sacred thing.«
Is art allowed to transform reflected reality into satire
In case you've ever wondered what type of art the SVP/Weltwoche actually gets excited about, here's a relevant article for you.
