STUDIO RR
STUDIO RR

smile

Video | 2019

Some people smile all the time. But what happens when a smile lasts longer than what is socially or emotionally considered “appropriate”? In the video work smiling, Ronja Römmelt, together with performer Kofi Wahlen, explores the physical and psychological effects of a deliberately prolonged facial gesture.

The starting point of the work is Römmelt’s personal encounter with people whose smiles have become a habit – a social mask often hiding sadness or pain.

The work is based on the findings of communication researcher Vera F. Birkenbihl: a deliberate smile lasting at least one minute can measurably release happiness hormones. However, this prolonged smiling goes far beyond that minute. In four takes of about 15 minutes each, performer Kofi Wahlen holds the smile. Supported by a six-step choreographic perception process that directs his attention inward, he experiences a range of emotional states: joy, irritation, exhaustion, sadness, anger – feelings often hidden behind a permanent smile and made palpable here.

The minimalist aesthetic design focuses entirely on the facial expression. The camera documents how the smile gradually transforms: from an open expression of inner joy to a visible act of physical effort – to an emotional ambivalence between tension, dissolution, and loss of control.

läch(e)ln becomes a silent, intense reflection on authenticity, emotional social masks, and the boundaries between inner experience and outward gesture.

Duration:
52 minutes (4 takes)

Playback mode:
Loop

Technical setup:
Projection

Choreography:
Ronja Römmelt

Performance:
Kofi Wahlen

Camera:
Alicja Pahl

Production:
Studio RR

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

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smile

Video | 2019

Some people smile all the time. But what happens when a smile lasts longer than what is socially or emotionally considered “appropriate”? In the video work smiling, Ronja Römmelt, together with performer Kofi Wahlen, explores the physical and psychological effects of a deliberately prolonged facial gesture.

The starting point of the work is Römmelt’s personal encounter with people whose smiles have become a habit – a social mask often hiding sadness or pain.

The work is based on the findings of communication researcher Vera F. Birkenbihl: a deliberate smile lasting at least one minute can measurably release happiness hormones. However, this prolonged smiling goes far beyond that minute. In four takes of about 15 minutes each, performer Kofi Wahlen holds the smile. Supported by a six-step choreographic perception process that directs his attention inward, he experiences a range of emotional states: joy, irritation, exhaustion, sadness, anger – feelings often hidden behind a permanent smile and made palpable here.

The minimalist aesthetic design focuses entirely on the facial expression. The camera documents how the smile gradually transforms: from an open expression of inner joy to a visible act of physical effort – to an emotional ambivalence between tension, dissolution, and loss of control.

läch(e)ln becomes a silent, intense reflection on authenticity, emotional social masks, and the boundaries between inner experience and outward gesture.

Duration:
52 minutes (4 takes)

Playback mode:
Loop

Technical setup:
Projection

Choreography:
Ronja Römmelt

Performance:
Kofi Wahlen

Camera:
Alicja Pahl

Production:
Studio RR

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