by Compagnie بلبل bolbol
In OMÂ (a combination of Oma, the German word for grandma, and Mâdarjun, the Farsi affectionate term for grandmother), the German Iranian circus artist Roxana Küwen Arsalan reimagines a dialogue with her two grandmothers.
They have never met in person, but now their granddaughter brings them together for a circus teatime performance full of poetry and humor. Juggling teapots, languages, and questions of privilege, OMÂ tosses the happenchance of our origins up into the air.
The personal is political in this multi-layered exploration of juggling artist Roxana Küwen Arsalan’s Iranian and East Frisian roots. At once searching and thought provoking, touching and ironic, this solo playfully turns stereotypes and assumptions upside down. Through (foot) juggling, object manipulation, dance, and language(s), a multitude of characters, atmospheres, and narrative threads gently unfold.
OMÂ is a subtle auto-fiction, imbued with current issues of our world, taking place in the here and now, and shaped by the presence of each audience member.