Eighteen people required medical attention during a performance of Florentina Holzinger’s opera, Sancta, in Stuttgart, Germany. The opera, which depicts nuns, sex scenes, mutilation, and real blood, also included naked roller-skating nuns and a crucified naked bodies.
The incidents occurred during performances on October 5th and 6th. A spokesperson for Stuttgart’s state opera told Sky News that some audience members experienced nausea, and in three cases, ambulances were called.
Despite the medical incidents, the audience reportedly applauded after the performance. The spokesperson emphasized the opera staff’s preparedness, pointing out that similar incidents occur in other performances, though less frequently. They also stated that audience members were informed about the show’s sensitive content beforehand.
The opera features two scenes lasting a few minutes each that the spokesperson described as potentially difficult to watch. One involved a performer having a small piece of flesh cut from their back, and another depicted two performers being pierced together to be lifted.
The spokesperson also noted that specific lighting effects could have contributed to some viewer reactions.
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The 38-year-old Austrian choreographer, known for her avant-garde performances, often featuring nudity and graphic imagery, has previously included tattooing, masturbation, and action paintings with blood and excrement. In an earlier interview, Holzinger stated unconventional views on dance technique.
Sancta is based on the 1920s opera Sancta Susanna, exploring themes of repression and desire. Despite the incidents, subsequent performances in Stuttgart and Berlin have reportedly sold out.
In response, Holzinger stated that the opera’s explicit content directly addresses the representation of women in the church and its influence on the female body. She criticized media reporting, suggesting they did not contextualize her artwork and described dealing with threats of violence and hate speech due to the coverage.
Her message to the audience was concise: “If you don’t want to see it, don’t come.”
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