Oliver Roth is a Switzerland born multidisciplinary artist working mainly in the field of performing arts, contemporary dance and theater. He worked as an editor, dramaturge, curator, performer, DJ and more. Since 2016 he’s creating his own longer performances; with the caption “A social convention” he transfers historically loaded events (e.g. funeral, birthday) into spaces of art. These performances are establishing an engaging live experience for the audience and are treating shared common topics from very personal viewpoints. With everyday performative actions built on openly created choreographies the unwritten laws of conventions are questioned fundamentally.
Amongst others he collaborated with Martin Schick, Cosima Grand, Balz Isler, Miriam Schulte and groups like vorschlag:hammer and Henrike Iglesias. With his own work and with collaborations he was shown on institutions and festivals like Gessnerallee Zürich, Tanzhaus Zürich, far° festival Nyon, Goethe Institut Weimar, Auawirleben Festival Bern, Theater Oberhausen, zeitraum exit Mannheim, Journée photographiques de Bienne, Manifesta 11, ROXY Birsfelden, Südpol Luzern, Treibstoff Theatertage Basel, Urgent Paradise Lausanne, Fête du Théâtre Genf and more. With ME TIME! he was one of the finalists at the emerging dance and theater price PREMIO in Switzerland. Besides his artistic work he acted as a curator for transform Bern, ROXY Birsfelden and Kunsthalle Zürich.
WORK
2018 ME TIME! workshop, Schule des Handelns, Helferei Zürich
2018 MASK OFF, lecture performance
2018 olzn twist, DJ-set for wild card profi training, curated by Martin Schick, Tanzhaus Zürich
2018 ONE Talks ...and the others shut up, listening session, wildwuchs unterwegs: Alterszentrum Zum Lamm, Wettsteinbrücke, Männerwohnhaus, Kunsthalle Basel
2018 ME TIME! – only for the moment and the moment's gone, installation, THE CRIB II, Group show curated by Yves Scherer, Galerie 95
2017/18 ME TIME! – A social convention, , , , Premio - Förderpreis für Theater und Tanz, Fête du Théâtre Geneva, Südpol Luzern, Roxy Birsfelden, Tanzhaus Zürich xZürich Tanzt, Ballhaus Ost Belrin
2016 WHILE YOU WERE DEAD – A social convention, far° festival des arts vivants Nyon, Nacht der 1000 Fragen Biel/Bienne, Tanzhaus Zürich, ROXY Birsfelden, zeitraumexit Mannheim
2016 COOPIANER, Exhibition & Performance, transform Bern
2016 SIBLINGS, Durational Performance, Friction, Gessnerallee Zürich for Keine Disziplin Festival
2016 BARTER 6, Performance, Hors Lits Bern
2015 ENDLICH KRIEG, Reading, Monolog Bern
COLLABORATIONS
2018/19 MIMESIA by Miriam Schulte, far° festival des arts vivants Nyon, Kaserne Basel
2017 A NIGHT CALLED LAYLA Treibstoff Theatertage Basel, Theater Oberhausen
2017 RADIKANT b// by Martin Schick, out+about festival Bern
2016 CTRL-V (LP) by Cosima Grand, TLH Sierre, Tanzhaus Zürich, Dampfzentrale Bern, Schloss Bröllin
2016/2017 PARTYCIPARTY with Martin Schick and Wendelin Schmitt-Ott, Goethe Institut Weimar, Kultursymposium 2016 / Out&About Bern
2016 HNC agency for the new contemporary, Manifesta 11
2016 I JUST WANNA FUCKIN’ DANCE by Kiriaoks Hadjiioannou, Tanzhaus Zürich
2016-2017 NEUES STADTTHEATER BERN with General Performances, Atelier 262 Progr Berne
2016 GRRRRRL by Henrike Iglesias, ROXY Birsfelden
2015 ISLÄNDERSAGAS by vorschlag:hammer, Culturescapes / ROXY Birsfelden / Theater Chur / Tuchlaube Aarau / Südpol Luzern / Ringlockschuppen Mülheim
2015 NOW&THERE, festival centre for AUAWIRLEBEN with Cosima Grand & Jasmin Wiesli
2014-ongoing ONE Talks ...and the others shut up, with Martin Schick and General Performances, wildwuchs Festival / Journée
Journée photographiques de Bienne / Nacht der 1000 Fragen, Urgent Paradise Lausanne x LeTANDEM / Friction @Gessnerallee Zürich
2014-2016 CTRL-V (EP) by Cosima Grand, PREMIO Nachwuchspreis für Tanz und Theater Schweiz, Kondenz Festival Belgrade /
ROXY Birsfelden/ frisch eingetroffen, zeitraum exit, mannheim / Festival de la cité, Südpol Luzern, Dampfzentrale Bern, ADN Neuchâtel, Theater Phönix Steckborn, Théâtre Sévelin 36 Lausanne
2014 THE CHROMA KEY with Balz Isler, stromereien festival Zürich
WORKSHOPS / SPEECHES / RESIDENCIES
2018-19 Ballet de Lorraine CCN - Centre Chorégraphique National, invited by Pro Helvetia
2018 watch&talk, Theaterspektakel Zürich, invitation by Migros Kulturprozent
2018 CAMPING, workshops with Miguel Gutierrez & Ralph Lemon, CND Paris, invitation by Pro Helvetia
2017 PAF - Performing Arts Forum, The Sensing Salon: Experiments in Entangled Existence
2017 LABORATORY, by Émilia Giudicelli and Ceylan Öztrük, Gessnerallee Zürich
2016 HOW DO YOU DO #1, Laboratory, AUAWIRLEBEN Festival Berne
2016 A TALK WITH... Marten Spangberg, Migrosmuseum für Gegenwartskunst Zürich, Zürich Moves!
2015 Residency & Showing with Cosima Grand at Tanzhaus Zürich
2015 «of ivory and flesh» by Marlene Monteiro Freitas, introduction to the piece at Festival Tanz In Bern, Dampfzentrale Bern
2014 Residency with Cosima Grand and Elodie Aubonnay at ROXY Birsfelden
2014 Residency & Showing with Cosima Grand, Elodie Aubonnay at Residenz Tanz Leuk
2013 Critics platform, two week workshop; Treibstoff Theatertage Basel
ENGAGEMENT
2018-19 Balett de Lorraine - Centre Choréographique National
2017- Kunsthalle Zürich
2016/2017 transform Bern
2015/2016 reso tanznetzwerk schweiz
2014-2015 ROXY Birsfelden
2014-2015 «KulturStattBern», Das Kulturblog des «Bund»
2013-2014 Dampfzentrale Bern
2013 Tanz In Bern, Dampfzentrale Bern
EDUCATION
Master of Arts in Newest Global History, University of Berne (2014)
Master of Arts in German Studies, University of Berne (2014)
Bachelor of Arts in History, University of Berne (2012)
Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Literature, University of Berne and Universitat de Valencia (2012)
Federal Vocational Baccalaureate (2007)
Practical Business Education (2006)