A controversial performance at Stuttgart State Opera in Germany left eighteen audience members requiring medical attention due to severe nausea. The disturbing scenes in the opera included live piercings, unsimulated sexual acts, and a mix of real and fake blood, causing distress among the viewers. The incidents occurred over the weekend during two showings of Sancta, a bold work by Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger.
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Sebastian Ebling, a spokesperson for the Stuttgart State Opera, confirmed the number of affected individuals. “On Saturday, we had eight people, and on Sunday, we had ten who had to be looked after by our visitor service,” Ebling stated. In three instances, medical personnel were called to provide treatment for those affected. The extreme and graphic nature of the performance led to physical reactions from some attendees.
Sancta is part of Florentina Holzinger’s groundbreaking yet provocative artistic style. Holzinger, 38, is known for her daring and unconventional performances, which often challenge traditional boundaries in the arts. Her performances blend elements of dance theater with vaudeville and often feature graphic displays of nudity, bodily functions, and daring stunts. In previous works, her all-female troupe has engaged in sword-swallowing, tattooing, and the use of fresh excrement as part of her controversial performance art.
Holzinger’s opera debut, Sancta, originally premiered at Mecklenburg State Theatre in Schwerin last May. The piece draws inspiration from Paul Hindemith’s 1921 opera Sancta Susanna, a work known for its controversial themes. The original opera tells the story of a young nun whose sexual awakening leads her to commit sacrilegious acts, a theme that resonated with Holzinger’s bold and provocative approach to performance art. However, Holzinger’s adaptation takes it even further, replacing the traditional score and setting with her unique modern twist.
In Sancta, naked nuns are seen roller-skating on a movable half-pipe, while a wall of crucified nude figures is prominently displayed. One of the most daring visual elements includes a lesbian priest officiating a mass. These bold depictions have drawn outrage from religious leaders, with bishops from Salzburg and Innsbruck publicly criticizing the work as a “disrespectful caricature of the holy mass.” Holzinger, however, responded by clarifying that her intention is to explore the relationship between conservative institutions, such as the church, and alternative communities like kink, not to mock religious practices.
Despite the controversy and physical reactions from some audience members, Sancta has enjoyed notable success. All five upcoming performances at the Stuttgart State Opera are already sold out, as well as two additional performances at Berlin’s Volksbühne scheduled for November. The show’s success has not been hindered by the reports of illness.
Ebling also issued a caution to future attendees, advising them to thoroughly review the content warnings provided before the performance. These warnings include alerts about incense, loud sounds, explicit sexual acts, and depictions of sexual violence. “If you have any questions, feel free to speak to the visitor service,” Ebling added. “And if in doubt during the performance, it may help to avert your gaze.”
Holzinger’s Sancta continues to push boundaries, with audiences both enthralled and unsettled by the daring nature of the performance.
