Berlin’s cultural landscape braces for an electrifying experience as queer icon Naya De Souza, known to many as @bundaskanzlerin, graces the stage at the independent theatre Hebbel am Ufer (HAU). Her poignant performances are primed to command attention during the “Love is a Verb” festival, drawing in crowds from the 12th to the 21st of April, 2024.
Tinged with her lived truth as a trans Brazilian artist, De Souza’s artistic expression defies boundaries, integrating performance art, cutting-edge comedy, and even the culinary arts. Naya’s online persona, @bundaskanzlerin, serves up scathing social media critique peppered with dark humour, targeting the echelons of German politics and art through a medley of found footage, video collages, and incisive memes that espouse an “anti-censorship” ethos.
Photos by @jetphoto
A trailblazer in Berlin’s cultural discourse, Naya De Souza’s influential voice resonates far beyond German borders, captivating audiences from over ten countries. Her artistic footprint marks notable institutions like the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Kampnagel, Martin Gropius Bau, and echoing through the halls of international destinations, including the Belvedere Theater in Vienna and WORM in Rotterdam. She’s illuminated festivals like Primavera Sound PRO and Berlin Art Week with her presence, earning her the prestigious TAG DER CLUBKULTUR prize in 2023 and a nod as a finalist for the Berlin Art Prize in 2022.
Naya’s ceaseless advocacy extends beyond the stage into realms of education and HIV rights activism while continuing to tantalize taste buds with her culinary creations. The “Love is a Verb” festival will showcase her rich talent in Calixto Neto’s “Feijoada” on the 13th and 14th of April, followed by a raw, riotous performance titled “The T in Matrimony” on the 19th. Trust Naya to stir the pot with her politically charged narratives on love, laughter, and life, promising an unforgettable spectacle at HAU Berlin.
Find out more: www.hebbel-am-ufer.de/en/programme/festivals-projects/love-is-a-verb
