In her performance “Deutschland Mon Amour”, Maja Simišić sings a bittersweet serenade to her complicated situationship and former lover - Germany. Blending cabaret and spoken word with live music, Maja took to the public stage at Theaterplatz in Chemnitz to express what had long been held in her heart and mind. The piece weaves together personal memories, reflections on her connection to Germany, as a country that she turned into a former lover for this piece, and a humoristic take on the "very German" things she misses - and those she definitely doesn't.

What many don’t know is that Maja was born in Germany but was never granted citizenship. Despite speaking fluent German and embodying some very “German” traits, she remained officially excluded. In “Deutschland Mon Amour”, her first piece written and performed entirely in German, she confronts not only the frustrations of an unjust system but also the deep emotional ties to a place that was once her home.

The performance was created during a six-week residency titled Dialogfelder, organized by Klub Solitaer e.V., marking Maja’s first time engaging in an artistic project in Germany, and her first extended stay in the country in over 13 years. Like much of her work, the piece is time and space specific and is to be seen on the documentation video, but never to be performed again.

Pictures and videos by Natalie Bleyl (Radar Studios)
Curated by Ewa Meister
Production by Brit Haßler