Abstract
FDRC KLEMM is a theatrical work by Fede Armonelli that conjures a world of platinum hair, glamorous prints, and happenings infused with desire and the pursuit of adoration. At its center, a protagonist directs his own destiny in a darkened room, scripting his reality, deciding the lights, and constructing an identity where fantasy reigns. The piece evokes Federico Klemm, an artist who himself oscillated between modesty and celebrity, embodying both humility and sophistication. This duality that contrasts control and vulnerability, power and admiration, forms the heart of the performance. Through a play of mirrors, spectacle, and self-fashioning, Armonelli stages a universe where directing and acting merge with obsession for brilliance, questioning how identity is created, perceived, and celebrated. FDRC KLEMM situates fantasy as absolute power while reflecting on the legacy of Klemm as both inspiration and spectral presence.
FDRC KLEMM is a theatrical work that immerses us in a universe of platinum-haired characters, glamorous prints, and happenings charged with desire and longing for adoration. In the mirror of a darkened room, the protagonist is the one who directs his own destiny, in a fantasy where he commands, writes the script, and decides where the lights will shine. In this work, Fede Armonelli evokes the figure of Federico Klemm, an artist whose essence and legacy appear as a constant inspiration in his creation. The character of FDRC KLEMM stands as a reflection of Klemm, who also played at being Federico: a figure oscillating between apparent modesty and celebrity status. With his presence and style, Klemm embodied both ends of the scale, performing humility while incarnating glamour and sophistication. This duality becomes the heart of Armonelli’s work, where the protagonist moves between the desire to control his entire environment and the need to be admired. In this theatrical setting, Armonelli constructs a space where the power of fantasy is absolute. The character lives in his own reality, where every detail is under his control, playing with the creation of his identity and with how others perceive him. It is a world where the art of directing and acting intertwines with the obsession for glitter and spectacle. The two ends of the balance, a spectrum.
Citation
Armonelli, Fede. 'FDRC KLEMM'. Dispossessions in the Americas. https://staging.dia.upenn.edu/en/art/AARG025/

