Antropical: Dobausseministär (Ministry of Strange Affairs) is a performative art project in the form of an office on wheels, issuing passports to the State of Mind, to question bureaucratic processes, the relevance of borders whilst also encouraging general silliness and serious fun.

 

The concept was first conceived during Antropical 2019 and put into practice during the Kolla Festival that same year. When entering the festival site visitors had to pass through border controls where they received a passport for the Utopian State of Kolla. Here, new citizens were informed about the laws of Kolla, the stamps they could receive by taking part in various interactive performances, and that they must collect them all to legally exit the State. Much to our surprise, only one person succeeded (lol). And unfortunately, due to poor discipline on the part of our border police force, we fear that many illegal festival-goers returned back in the real world without the relevant documents and visas.

 

Since its launch, the Dobausseministär has taken a more permanent form – or two, in fact!

 

Antropical has, through the Dobausseministär, produced its own passport, giving its holders a special kind of access to the strange and enlightening world created by Antropical artists. Future performances and artworks will have their own stamps and visas, which the audience can collect on their passport’s empty pages, as they follow the journey of Antropical around the world.

 

Even Luxembourg 's Ministry of Nature and Forests has been inspired by this project! During the summer of 2020, they issued passports to encourage the population to explore the country’s many natural areas and its five centres in the context of the national program Doheem Vakanz (Holiday at Home). Passport holders could collect stamps and enter a prize draw, one of which was issued by the Dobausseministär.