"When I moved to Berlin 19 years ago, it felt like some kind of revival of the Weimar period, says Mary Ocher, referring to the cultural glory days of pre-Nazi Germany. But then she saw the tail end of this beautiful period. Now in Germany, they try to deport EU citizens who participated in pro-Palestine protests. From where I am, it's pretty scary."
"Born in Moscow to Jewish-Ukrainian parents, she is an Israeli citizen who grew up in Tel Aviv, where she was exposed to intense nationalism that appalled her. I hated everything around me, the 39-year-old says of her teenage years in Israel. There was no accountability, no possibility to change anything."
"She was due to be drafted in the IDF, but she refused and emigrated to Berlin in 2007 with her industrial folk band Mary and the Baby Cheeses, who blended acoustic instrumentation with theremin and percussive household objects. Ocher and her bandmates moved into a community house and immersed themselves in experimental Berlin culture."
Mary Ocher, a Moscow-born Israeli artist living in Berlin for 19 years, created her album Weimar to highlight parallels between historical fascism and current political trends. Having refused IDF conscription and emigrated to Berlin in 2007, Ocher has consistently made politically engaged work rooted in her experiences as an immigrant and activist. She witnessed Berlin's cultural renaissance but now observes concerning developments, including deportations of EU citizens participating in pro-Palestine protests. Ocher's artistic practice stems from her upbringing in Tel Aviv, where she rejected intense nationalism and lack of accountability. Her career spans experimental music with her band Mary and the Baby Cheeses through avant-pop solo work, with all seven studio albums driven by socio-political themes.
#political-activism #fascism-and-authoritarianism #immigration-and-displacement #experimental-music #weimar-cultural-parallels
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