Ser Serpas: Strange Days – Performance Series

As part of the exhibition “sonderbare Tage” by Ser Serpas at the Kölnischer Kunstverein, a four-part performance series is taking place at Kino 813. On select evenings, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will not be presented as a traditional shadow cast, but in a format developed by Ser Serpas: A small group of performers reacts to selected sequences from the film—not to every scene and not in fixed roles, but with shifting assignments, overlaps, and their own deviations.

The performance ties in with central themes of the exhibition. Serpas is interested in the relationship between film, stage, audience, and space. In “Strange Days,” the atmosphere of horror, science fiction, and pop culture is not used merely as a reference, but as an expression of a collective unease in the present. The exhibition is conceived as a walk-through experience in which visitors themselves become observers, participants, and actors.

The audience is also explicitly involved in the performance. Reactions to the film—shouting out lines, singing along, clapping, and the “Time Warp”—are all part of the show. This creates a collaborative cinematic and performance experience that blends cult film, exhibition, and audience participation. The series allows visitors to experience how Serpas transfers the energy of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” into the realm of contemporary art—where stage and audience intertwine.

The Kunstverein asks that not to bring any props —no classic Rocky Horror props such as rice, water guns, toast, confetti, or glitter. Voices, hands, and feet are permitted.