What is it that we find fascinating when we read stories written from the perspective of murderers, violent criminals or war criminals? Why do we watch films that let us enter into the “mind of the criminal”? The accounts of actions, fantasies or thoughts socially ostracized or disapproved of incite disgust, revulsion or shame. However, taking an evil, disgusting or shameful perspective in literature, theatre, film or computer games creates maximum attention at all times. Why is that? Which discursive forms are available for this? How do repulsion and fascination relate to one another? Do “infamous perspectives“ have a function in society?
In 2013, over 100 audience members carried out a self-experiment at Uferstudios and at Sopiensaele in Berlin: they spoke the parts from the drama Aalst by Pol Heyvaert and Dimitri Verhulst, which is based on a trial of parents who killed their own children. Is it possible to take the perspectives of such extreme characters?
In October 2013, at a symposium at Sophiensaele, the same question was asked by representatives of occupations whose field of activity requires the investigation into infamous perspectives: legal experts, psychiatrists, authors and actors, literary scholars and art historians.
The results of the project Infamous Perspectives have now been documented in a book which includes contributions by scientists and scholars Martin von Koppenfels, Hans-Christian von Herrmann, Thomas-Michael Seibert, Aage Hansen-Löve and Christina Röfer, the profiler Harald Dern from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the psychiatrist Hans-Ludwig Kröber, Presiding Judge at the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) Thomas Fischer as well as the authors Judith Kuckart and John von Düffel.
The enclosed DVD shows eight self-experiments of the audience members in videos by Daniel Kötter.
On April 15, together with the project team and some of the authors we will present the publication at publisher Theater der Zeit’s own theatre bookshop “Einar & Bert” in Berlin.
Infame Perspektiven
edited by Julian Klein, Martin von Koppenfels, Marion Hirte and Thomas Jacobsen
published by Verlag Theater der Zeit, Berlin 2015
ISBN 978-3-95749-030-8
Heike Catherina Mertens Vom Blick in den Abgrund
Martin von Koppenfels Infame Erzähler, unmögliche Stimmen
Hans-Christian von Herrmann Nachtgestalten
Harald Dern Infame Perspektiven – zum Umgang mit dem Bösen
Thomas-Michael Seibert Zuschreibung – die Feststellung der Infamie im Gerichtssaal
Aage A. Hansen-Löve Der Autor als Täter – Hiobsbotschaften
Christina Röfer Harmlose Vorstellung? Eva Meyer-Kellers Inszenierung Death is certain als infames Wechselspiel der Wahrnehmung
Julian Klein, Thomas Jacobsen und Marion Hirte Infame Perspektiven – Das Experiment
Hans-Ludwig Kröber „Solche Prozesse laufen eher ruhig, still und relativ problemlos ab“
Judith Kuckart Noli me tangere
John von Düffel „Wer spricht da eigentlich?“
Thomas Fischer Infame Perspektiven – Fragen in einem Erlebnisbericht
A production by !KF – Institute for Artistic Research and a rose is in cooperation with Sophiensæle. The project is made possible by Hauptstadtkulturfonds, Ernst Schering Foundation and Rudolf Augstein Stiftung and kindly supported by Uferstudios.