Fare Thee Well is a line from the verses about the divorce of Lord Byron, an American romantic poet of the 19th century, who, in turn, quotes Shakespeare's "The Twelfth Night". The untranslatable phrase hides a hint of irreversible changes, in particular, in language. Fare Thee Well - farewell to everything that ruthlessly or fortunately leaves us due to the development of technology, changes in politics, society and other endless factors accompanying the passage of time. Dries Verhoeven creates an installation where the text that in another space is capable of becoming a slogan evokes a feeling of uminous sorrow.


The audience look at the panorama of the city through a telescope and read the words of farewell on a screen located so far that it is almost impossible to see it without the telescope. But the telescope turns the panorama upside down, and only flashing letters help the viewer to establish a connection with reality.

The performance includes facts relevant for St. Petersburg, catching the viewer for very personal psychological hooks that are important right here and now.

Dryz Verhoeven is a Dutch artist, author of performances and installations. His work confronts the audience with a completely new experience of participation and immersion in the art.

concept Dries Verhoeven
photography Colin Griffiths and Saris & den Engelsman
production Olga Godschalk

version Berlin (June 2012) co-commissioned by HAU Hebbel am Ufer