a musical AND ARTISTIC collaboration
GIDI & MATI
English:
Gidi and Mati’s artistic project is a poetic and musical collaboration that reflects the cultural origins of both artists. Gidi, a multi-instrumentalist, draws inspiration from Turkey, Argentina, Israel, and the international soundscape of Berlin. Mati’s writing is influenced by his heritage from Baghdad, Syria, Iran, and Israel, exploring the meeting of his Arab and Jewish identities. Together, their work dissolves boundaries, forming a unique fusion that is constantly evolving, where words and music merge into a space without borders.
At the heart of this musical-poetic *banquet* lies improvisation: Farhi and Shemoelof respond to each other through music and language while engaging the audience emotionally. Spontaneous impulses flow into the performance, bridging memory and cultural renewal. Through participatory formats—written, dialogical, and musical—art becomes a space for encounter.
Berlin serves as a symbolic setting, representing the disrupted Jewish culture of the city and its revival through the complexity of diverse diaspora experiences. The performance intertwines individual biographies with collective memories, demonstrating how Hebrew resonates anew in music and poetry. Lost stories of forgotten individuals merge with urban history.
In the transition from sound to poetry, Jewish history is rendered emotionally tangible in miniatures. Simultaneously, the fusion of singing, emotional chorus, and spoken word symbolizes an open future in which Hebrew in Germany finds new meaning and unlocks new spaces.
Through music, language, and visual elements, the project creates a platform for dialogue and participation. Functioning as a *third space* (as described by Homi Bhabha), it embraces ambiguity, inviting audiences to perceive memory and identity as fluid experiences—especially in a city like Berlin, characterized by constant transformation.
German:
Kurzbiografie oder Kurzvorstellung des Ensembles*
Gidi Farhi, Mati Shemoelof und Thomas Schütt verbinden Musik, Literatur und Theater in einem interdisziplinären Diskurs über Identität, Migration und interkulturellen Dialog. Shemoelofs Konzept der transnationalen Dichtung bildet die Grundlage ihrer Zusammenarbeit, die aus der Kraft der Poesie gesellschaftliche Impulse schöpft.
Short Biography or Ensemble Introduction
Gidi Farhi, Mati Shemoelof, and Thomas Schütt merge music, literature, and theater in an interdisciplinary discourse on identity, migration, and intercultural dialogue. Shemoelof’s concept of transnational poetry forms the foundation of their collaboration, using the power of poetry to generate social impulses.
Israeli musician and composer Gidi Farhi, born in Ashdod in 1976 and based in Berlin since 2006, blends folk, Oriental, and experimental music in his projects. Trained at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and having studied the sitar in India, he shapes innovative musical formats such as the live-composing trio Genes and the Minimal Utopia Orkestra.
Mati Shemoelof, born in Haifa in 1972, is one of the most versatile authors of his generation, with twelve published books. His multilingual works bridge Jewish and Arab perspectives. As a co-founder of Poetic Hafla and Anu אנו نﺣــــﻧ, he plays a key role in Berlin’s literary scene.
Thomas Schütt, born in 1979 in the Middle Rhine region, combines philosophy, German studies, and acting in interdisciplinary projects spanning theater, dance, and performance art. Through ÉCOLEFLÂNEURS and EX!T Ausgangspunkt Theater, he has developed the concept of dramaturgie trouvée—a principle of situational art and serendipitous encounters.
Next performances: