Day 3 – July 3, 2003
Acconci an der Mur
For 10 days, The "Theater im Bahnhof", a local theater group in Graz, created an island republic complete with a governing body, security team and foreign relations. Gabi is a member of this diverse theater group.
Acconci an der Mur was created to lampoon big government and the questions of security in this unsure world. This place ironically became the safest island in the world and a truly wonderful little nation in its own right. If one needed, they could request asylum from oppression and spend a night in peace.
 Acconci an der Mur |
 Acconci rear entrance for VIPs :-) |
Every visitor needed a passport with proper visas for each night before they could enter this new republic. You also had to draw in your own face and include a description of some physical deformity. Mine was bald ankles. Years of wearing sweat socks and long pants have made my shins as bald as Yule Brenner’s head! But I digress…
In the passport there is also a greeting from the Acconci Consul Hoff (played by Helmut Kopping) as well as the Laws of the Republic.
Eric, Hilary and I were lucky enough to score an all access pass which allowed me to avoid the daily immigration process. The only down side is that I only have one stamp in my passport.
My Acconci Passport
 My Passport |
The greeting from the Acconci Consul Hoff:
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Graz is a proud gem in the Crown of the firmament. Graz is a bouncy castle and glorious student days, the lovely face of the next-door girl. Internationally compared, practically no crimes are committed, for Graz is as certain and safe as the Amen and the Hallelujah of the European Union. Graz is also a living witness of defying the Turks, it is a mild diet, a canopy, it is an international fair and an estimate of costs: vision and world heritage, simplicity and simple-mindedness: my Graz. Early in the morning, the doe grazes the golf-links. At night, the upright men sweat in the faithful arms of their hometown sweethearts. If you want to know better what Graz is, come to the island. In the heart of the river Mur, I have made a dream come true and this is my dearest republic Acconci. There, I am my house, there I am my home. There it is safe! Safe! Safe! Safe! Greetings from his admirable grace, the delightful Consul Hoff. |
Dear citizens of Graz, Ladies and Gentlemen, Come to Graz!And lets not forget the laws. After all, what kind of a republic would it be without laws?
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Birth of a Republic
 Hoff speaks to the new citizens of Acconci |
 Swearing in |
 Attempting to spell Acconci. They got it later. |
The Republic of Acconci an der Mur was officially incorporated on July 3 2003 in a ceremony that combined the pageantry of a political inauguration with the (staged) awkwardness of a poorly organized community theater. There in lies the genius of the people behind this project in which the boundaries between theater and reality no longer exist.
Dancers missed their marks, musicians dropped instruments and stagehands tripped and fell. Bickering turned to an outright brawl as the ceremony spiraled into total chaos during the final dance number as the troupe attempted to spell out the word Acconci with their bodies. Beaten and defeated, players were sprawled out on the stage.
 Dance fever? |
 Hoff gets down while others begin to falter |
Baptism and Finale
Now the time had come to be baptized with the water of the Mur. Two by two, they attempted to walk along a water soaked floor with little success. The flailing wet limbs eventually made their way up to the top of the bleachers where they were doused in the cold life liquid. Following his baptismal, Consul Hoff appeared in his skivvies in an attempt to bring about some sense of order.
 Time for the Baptism |
 The band before the champagne spray |
The band then came out to play and, in a champagne toast moment, one saxophonist sprayed everyone with the bubbly resulting in more poetic chaos.
Then came a massive group dance with audience participation.
Following all of this mayhem and madness was the singing of the beautiful Acconci Hymn. Performed by a singer that would later become a very dear friend.
 I think she’s got more in that bottle |
 One big happy republic |
The wonderfully choreographed slapstick qualities made the humor come to life for we the non-German speakers. Which brings me to the next feature of the night. I can only assume it was funny by the reaction of the crowd. Which, by the way, had moved to the indoor café at this point.
Called Safety Dance, a group of multimedia artists added humorous voice-over dialogue to a serious telethon (i.e. What’s Up Tiger Lily). It was now a fund raiser for some new safety product … I think.
 The crowd inside Acconci |
Making a New Friend
Norbert’s band The Base premeired a brand new song on this night. Since the whole theme of the Acconci, and of Safety Dance in particular, was security, the night was ripe for the debut of their song "Security".
Recorded as a demo not too long ago, this is a rocker of a tune. Loud, brash and honest, it was not originally slated to be part of the Base’s upcoming release "Sunday Morning Rituals". However, after the recording received such high comments from the crowd at Acconci, it was placed neatly in the queue for that release.
The nights of the Acconci concluded with "Lulling Talks" where members of the Theater group lie in hammocks suspended over the flowing river and told stories until they fell asleep.
We all decided to leave and go to a bar across the river called Theinfeld. A large room with bright lights and plastic furniture. There was a DJ booth set up, no DJ. The bartender would go and put the music on. There was also a large area for dancing, but no one was dancing.
Anyway. Before leaving the island, I had noticed this pretty girl in the Acconci cafe and asked her to join us. Much to my delight, she did. Her name was Irina and we hit it off right away. Immediadly I could feel a freindship brewing. During my time in Graz, we often found ourselves talking for hours and totally losing track of time.
She told me she was a singer and we’d talk about music. We’d go from Charles Mingus to Killing Joke to Tom Waits without blinking. Shifting to politics and family and back to music in a ballet of conversation that went far beyond the ‘how’s the weather’ small talk I always get at home.
About a day after that first meeting, we’re all out again at a place called the Eckhaus and a funny thing happened. Norbert was telling me that Irina was a world class vocalist, not just any old singer. I asked if he had heard her before and he said, "Of course. So did you."
It turned out that she was the one who sang the Hymn of the Acconci. I did not even recognize here. She was all done up as a super conservative politician and her hair pulled back tight for the show. When I met her, she was dressed casual with beautiful long dark hair.
I think in a way it was good that I did not recognize her when I first approached her. I was not trying to meet Irina the singer, I was trying to get to know Irina the person. I think if I had approached her primarily about her performance, then that could have been the end of it.
I also think it was funny that she was portraying the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Acconci. So it was only fitting that I, an American Cultural Delegate of sorts would find a friend in her.
 July 2003 |
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| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | Graz Links | |||
