The Weeping Madonna
Graduation performance at the Master studies in performing arts in the Iceland University of Arts in Reykjavik January 2025.
It is a foundational human trait to be longing for miracles, to yearn for something to happen that will transcend our everyday lives. The world is already full of wonders, why is this not enough? Why does it sometimes feel like there is a lost connection to something, or someone, larger than ourselves?
In his performance “The Weeping Madonna”, Henrik Koppen explores the role of the alchemist as an individual searching for potentiality, new knowledge, and transformation. The alchemist works in the intersection between magic and science, and is in constant search of the miraculous. In this project, Koppen explores the human need for miracles through a queer lens. He invites the audience into an alchemy lab where material experiments and collective rituals open up a space where potential realities could emerge.
Thank you to Brogan Davison, Hrefna Lind Lárusdóttir, Rósa Ómarsdóttir, Martina Priehodová, Egill Ingibergsson, Simon Schultz and Emil Gunnarsson for help and support for this project!
Photos by Owen Fiene
The scenography
Press photo, Henrik Koppen