Creamcake presents Vertigo, a study of systemic instability and physical disorientation. The program gathers artists to examine self-preservation strategies within an oppressive present, favoring vulnerability over the demand for optimization.

A profound sense of disequilibrium defines the contemporary moment. From the heights of environmental debt and corporate consolidation to the pressures of ableist infrastructure, the contradictions of modern society have reached a critical tipping point. Against this backdrop, Creamcake’s 3hd 2025 focuses on "Vertigo," a festival dedicated to the embodied and phenomenological reality of disorientation. While many view these states as a reaction to global crisis, others live within such instability as a permanent condition. The program convenes in Berlin, gathering a group of artists and musicians whose work centers on strategies of self-preservation and resilience within a complex, oppressive reality.

“Nausea” performance by Kinlaw

At Haus der Visionäre, Kinlaw presented “gut ccheck,” a piece that solidified their reputation for rigorous, movement-based inquiry. During the 3hd Festival, the artist explored the theme of nausea through a lens of physical and psychological strain. The choreography relied on a high degree of stamina, utilizing sound and motion to reflect the toll of modern existence. Kinlaw directed their focus toward class divides and the burden of performance, creating a ledger of the energy required to resist systemic confinement. The presentation remained rooted in a state of constant exertion, mirroring the fatigue inherent in contemporary life. Through this work, Kinlaw demonstrated how the body acts as a site of both struggle and potential defiance.

Johanna Hedva

Johanna Hedva presented a theatrical work from the unreleased album “Fist” at HAU Hebbel am Ufer. Performed on a recovered acoustic guitar that returned after a decade, the piece marked a debut collaboration with director George R. Miller. The staging depicted a void-like afterlife, utilizing sound and minimal aesthetics to investigate the persistence of the spectral. Hedva’s work serves as a meditation on disappearance and the weight of returned objects.

“Bornsick” by Lewis Walker

In the performance “Bornsick,” Lewis Walker utilized the stage at HAU Hebbel am Ufer to dismantle the concept of a fixed identity. As a queer, non-binary movement artist, Walker’s methodology relies on a synthesis of gymnastic discipline and dance. The work presented during the 3hd Festival focused on the ways in which movement is often a performance of cultural mandates. Through precise gestures, Walker revealed the self as a structured assembly of past influences and social demands. This interrogation of the body offered a sharp perspective on how individuals navigate the world through inherited roles.

The structure of the weekend added a layer of depth to the inquiry. Following an initial performance on Friday, Walker engaged in a deep-dive workshop with Michele Occelli before returning to the stage on Saturday. This collaboration with a hypnotherapist allowed for a unique exploration of the interior self. The “MOVE HYPNO” session informed the subsequent iteration of “Bornsick,” creating a dialogue between the conscious effort of the dancer and the involuntary responses of the mind. Walker’s work remains an essential critique of the pressures placed upon the body, highlighting the persistent effort required to exist outside of traditional frameworks.

Choreography and Performance by Lewis Walker
Hypnotherapy and Live Narration by Michele Occelli
Dramaturgy and Rehearsal Direction by Elisabeth Mulenga
Look Engineering by Straytukay
Lighting Design by Laurie Loads
Lighting Programming & Codesign by Edward James Saunders
Graphic Design by Marco Andrea Cacioni
Set Design by David White
Physiotherapist & acupuncturist Atsue Morinaga
R&D Gymnast Louis Alexander
Music by Oliver Coates, “Throb, shiver, arrow of time” and “skins n slime” and Underworld, “Born Slippy” (Nuxx)
Additional Sound Design and Mastering by Harvey Causon
Serpentine, London: Kostas Stasinopoulos, Curator, Live Programmes, Daisy Gould, Assistant Curator, Live Programmes, Isobel Peyton-Jones, Producer, Serpentine and Andy Downie, Velocet EAF, Edinburgh: Kim McAleese, Director, Eleanor Edmondson, Curator

Starand Stan “MOONLIGHT FUEL” performance

New York duo Star and Stan brought "MOONLIGHT FUEL" to Haus der Visionäre for the 3hd Festival’s “Care Circuit.” Artists Kate Williams and Reed Rushes utilized the performance to investigate the complexities of gender and sexuality through a lens of extreme ambition. By adopting the personas of a glamorous power couple, they presented a narrative defined by an insatiable hunger for status. The work drew heavily from Americana tropes, film noir, and science fiction to build a surreal environment. Through this stylized fantasy, Star and Stan analyzed the friction between personal desire and the public performance of success.

‘Heavy Rotation’ exhibition

The group exhibition "Heavy Rotation" served as a central pillar of the 3hd 2025: Vertigo festival at Haus der Visionäre. Featuring artists such as Emily Barker, Johannes Büttner, and Zuzanna Czebatul, the collection examined the repetitive cycles of systemic pressure and physical existence. The works occupied a space between stability and collapse, mirroring the festival’s broader inquiry into disorientation. By including diverse perspectives from Romeo Roxman Gatt and the collaborative efforts of Joshua Woolford with Sippin’ T and Lie Ning, the exhibition analyzed how the individual navigates a world in a state of constant, dizzying motion.

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Johannes Büttner

Johannes Büttner contributed to the group exhibition "Heavy Rotation" at Haus der Visionäre during the 3hd Festival. The artist, based in Amsterdam and Berlin, utilizes his practice to investigate socio-economic phenomena through both speculative and scientific lenses. For this presentation, Büttner showcased “MedBed 2023,” an installation featuring a sentient healing device. The work functions as a critique of modern belief systems, as the machine intones the terms and conditions associated with conspiratorial faith healers. By merging the language of technology with the rhetoric of fringe spirituality, Büttner analyzes the friction between institutional logic and the desperate search for alternative cures.