Laura Kikauka in Schmalzwald Berlin
© Gordon Monahan

Schmalzwald by Laura Kikauka

Erinnerung von Gordon Monahan
1996

Schmalzwald
© Gordon Monahan
Schmalzwald im Prater, Kastanienallee 7-9, Berlin. A project by Laura Kikauka. Featuring collaborations with Gordon Monahan, Gordon W., Turtle O’Toole, Mizi, JJ Jones, Jennifer Friedrich, Melissa Perales, Leander Hörmann, Torbjorn Christiansen, York Wegerhoff, Edi Tschiesche, John Henry Nyenhuis, and many more.

Laura Kikauka im Hühnerkostüm, Schmalzwald
© Gordon Monahan
Schmalzwald began in August, 1996 as an after-hours venue for the Sonambiente Festival, Akademie der Kunste. Sponsored by the Volksbühne, Schmalzwald was open at the Prater, Berlin, from Thursday to Saturday nights and featured live Irritainment, which consisted mostly of organ playing of reasonable quality combined with singing of questionable quality. Laura Kikauka designed the interior and installed her ongoing collections of altered consumer products, DDR uncollectible items, and hybrid flea market/art objects, etc. The interior was always in a state of transformation and was updated almost every week.

Schmalzwald
© Gordon Monahan
Performance chef Gordon W. introduced his Scharfness Institut to the Berlin public, cutting through the schmalz and shocking the public by serving fine cuisine at Imbiss prices, in between playing Tablas and Theremin on stage. Schmalzwald moved to a new location on Schlegelstrasse in 1998 and permanently closed in 2000.

Schmalzwald
© Gordon Monahan