Berlin-Alt-Hohenschönhausen

The opera Hohenschönhausen revolves around the former Stasi prison in Berlin, where mainly intellectuals, artists, and critical thinkers were imprisoned. These people received minimal sentences of 10 years, often under appalling conditions, simply because they appeared to be, or actually were, critical of the regime. A simple action, such as drawing a smiley with lipstick on a statue of Stalin, could lead to a severe punishment. An extremely detailed file was kept on every prisoner, documenting everything known about them, including scent and (pubic) hair samples.

In this opera, the Hohenschönhausen prison symbolizes every oppressive system that exists in various forms worldwide. It is a system that attempts to limit the free, independent mind as much as possible, and, if necessary, to eliminate it.

Today, this happens in more subtle ways: we are distracted and numbed by a sense of prosperity, social media, television, and other media. Meanwhile, our phones and computers constantly monitor our behavior. Moreover, we increasingly relinquish our decision-making to artificial intelligence, which "advises" us in these decisions—just as we routinely follow navigation when driving from point A to point B. And the more we fall asleep in this way, the more we are being watched.