A Journey to Travel
Between Chur and RuhigRaum
Therese Raschle, Marco Giana, Birgit Kempker, and Aram Ruhi Ahangarani
15.11.2012
Giving a spoonful of earth to the suitcase is considered the first step,
so goes the journey through Chur, which we, Therese Raschle, Marco Giana, Birgit Kempker, and I, also took as an event of FuF, invited by Peter Trachsel and his Hasena, in collaboration
with the Chur Theatre, on November 15, 2012. As complicated as the description is, the path
was easier. Birgit carried two tables and a blue blanket from the Marsoel Hotel, along with shoes in her backpack, earth, tablecloths, matches, incense sticks, a suitcase, a bag, a walking stick, and a throwing stick… to the station. Therese and Marco sat at small tables on chairs, writing on paper, speaking into a Dictaphone, capturing what was happening in their minds and before their eyes, ears, and noses. I kept throwing the stick to point the direction. Birgit put earth from her hiking boots into a small blue suitcase with a long spoon. She lit the earth with incense sticks. She stamped the phrase: “Giving a spoonful of earth to the suitcase is considered the first step” on people’s forearms or on a crepe band. She stuck these strips with sayings onto various surfaces in Chur. The stamp was lovingly crafted by local artisans in collaboration with the local stationery. Birgit had people draw cards and blindly pick pages from a prepared book to illustrate the first steps and support them with a small gift. On a carousel with long white flowers by Not Vital, an uncertain street musician joined us and played, and an older gentleman took out children’s instruments from his briefcase and played too. The journey ended at the foot of the Martinskirche. We ate earth and later at the Marsoel Hotel, apple paprika goulash and chestnut compote.
Aram Ruhi Ahangarani, Traveler, Photographer, and Curator on earth between Chur and RuhigRaum (ghostwriter Birgit Kempker)
