During the 48h Neukölln Festival on 28 June 2025, Veritas Percepta transformed the Orangerie of Körnerpark into a poetic, technologically augmented performance landscape. Conceived and executed by berlin-based creative Duo Marie Zechiel and Elodie Carstensen, the piece examined how a drone can become more than a tool or surveillance device — instead acting as a responsive partner in movement, presence, and attention.
A Performance That Shifted from Daylight to Darkness
The performance began in natural daylight. As time passed, the light changed, and the atmosphere shifted. Because of this, the drone became more important in guiding the focus of the audience.
The drone reacted to the dancer’s movements. It hovered, moved closer, or pulled away. As a result, the light created new shapes in the space. The performer moved with clarity, and the drone responded with equal precision.
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In Veritas Percepta the drone acts as a mobile light source and an active part of the choreography. |
The Drone as a Partner in Movement
The connection between dancer and drone needed clear movement direction. Therefore, Marie Zechiel developed a simple but precise movement structure that helped both the performer and the drone work together. This structure made the interaction calm, focused, and easy to follow.
Instead of presenting the drone as a threat, the performance treated it as a gentle partner. It acted as a mobile light source and an active part of the choreography. Because of this, the drone created moments of attention and closeness.
Light, Air, and Motion Formed a Shared Space
As the evening turned into night, the drone’s light became the main visual element. It shaped the space by drawing soft lines across the garden. Wind, sound, and movement blended together, which created a quiet and immersive atmosphere.
In the final moment, the dancer was lit only by the drone. This image showed how technology can support a human presence without overpowering it. It opened a new way of thinking about the relationship between body and machine.
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Veritas Percepta continues the artistic collaboration between Carstensen and Zechiel, extending their shared exploration of performative fashion. |
Expanding Performative Fashion Research
Veritas Percepta continues the artistic collaboration between Carstensen and Zechiel, extending their shared exploration of performative fashion. Here, garments do not merely adorn — they act. They amplify movement, respond to airflow, and alter the visibility of the performer.
The drone, similarly, becomes more than a device:
– a spotlight
– a choreographic partner
– a mediator between exposure and protection
– and a sculptor of spatial rhythms
This interplay pushes fashion into a performative realm where body, fabric, and technology create a hybrid language of motion.
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Veritas Percepta introduces a form of mobile illumination only achievable through drone technology.
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A New Form of Tech-Driven Choreography
In contrast to conventional stage lighting or static scenography, Veritas Percepta introduces a form of mobile illumination only achievable through drone technology. The dynamic light architecture created:
– shifting zones of visibility
– pulsating halos around the performer
– moments of sudden intimacy
– and dissolving boundaries between performer and environment
Under Zechiel’s movement direction, the human body became the emotional center around which the technical system oriented itself — not the other way around.
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Marie Zechiel (centre) and Team: Elodie Carstensen, up.up Founder Maximilian Raschke, Kaspar Lerch, Martin Heßmann.
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About the Artists
Marie Zechiel & Elodie Carstensen
Together, they interlace movement, performance, and design into immersive worlds.
Learn more about Marie Zechiel’s work or get in touch for collaborations.
CREDITS
Concept & Creative Direction: Marie Zechiel & Marie Zechiel
Movement Direction: Marie Zechiel
Fashion Design: Elodie Carstensen
Performer: Siri Elmqvist
Drone Company: upup.berlin
Drone Pilot: Maximilian Raschke
Drone LED Operator: Kaspar Lerch
Music Composition: Andre Moghimi
Photography: Thai Hoang
Make-up: Chie Yamamoto
Best Boy: Martin Heßmann
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