During a period of restrained movement, of silent fear and invisible walls, of temporal barriers and solitude, the city became a place outside, detached from experience and projected under the hopes for another, future time. Stuttgart Sub Rosa is the picture of a city locked at home.
The text employs a language that is poetic and metaphorical, often drawing on memory rather than direct observation. The narrative voice, speaking in the first-person plural, reflects a collective experience, particularly in the context of the pandemic. However, as the narrative unfolds, the author intentionally distances themselves by adopting a borrowed voice, creating a reflective tone that situates the 'I' in a time after the events of the 'Film.'
Anonymous voices emerge to articulate the shared reality of the pandemic, including the shift to working from home and the pressures of maintaining productivity. These voices highlight the collective experience of anxiety that the pandemic has exacerbated, blending personal and societal tensions.
The narrative draws on Ottomar Domnick’s Jonas (1957), set in post-war Stuttgart, where the protagonist grapples with anxiety and guilt from his wartime past. The hat, which Jonas buys in an attempt to redefine his social identity, symbolizes his burdened past. This symbol is repurposed in the contemporary pandemic setting, where internal anxieties mirror those experienced by Jonas.
Graduation project / 2021 / IGmA / Universität Stuttgart / Prof. Dr.-Phil. Stephan Trüby / Supervised by: Sandra Oehy, Philipp Krüpe, Leonard Herrmann