breathe

Video | 2019 

How long can one hold their breath – and what happens when the body is forced to exceed its natural limits? The video work atmen explores the threshold between control and loss of control, between the will to live and weariness of life.

At the center is the human breathing reflex: the involuntary, vital response of the body that kicks in just before suffocation. Römmelt deliberately suppresses her breathing until the reflex forces her to inhale. The tight framing reduces the body to its physiological core – an autonomous organism acting independently of consciousness, fighting for its survival.

atmen is a radical portrait of internal resistance – a quiet, physical confrontation with the possibility of ending one's own life, and the body’s simultaneous, involuntary impulse to survive.

Choreography & Performance:
Ronja Römmelt

Camera:
Alicja Pahl

Duration:
2:49 minutes

Playback Mode:
Loop

Technical Setup:
Site-specific installation: monitor or projection

Production:
Studio RR

Supported by:
City of Zug, Canton of Zug, Migros Culture Percentage