“come out of the blue today, will you. Beloved. Beloved. i’m calling. i’m calling. calling on you.“

Sudabeh Mohafez’ text is a multi-layered prose poem with many references to both the literatures of oppression and resistance and the biography of the author herself. The poem acknowledges each individual piece of art represented in the “Out of the Blue”-project with a direct quote, a hint, or a detail and thus bears witness to the process of exchange and creation that eventually led to the record. Resembling a mosaic, it is composed of a multitude of thematic references to topoi such as exile, hope, defiance, love, flight, displacement, or happiness, as well as flashes of memories and sensations from the authors own childhood in Iran. Moreover it can, quite literally, be read as a summoning of examples, inspirations, and elders.

The dedication to a long list of writers at its end and the central quote of Toni Morrison’s „Beloved“ place the text in a vast cultural tradition of works sympathizing, empowering, instigating, cheering, fighting, and grieving with those marginalized and opressed. A shortened version of ”summonings“ merged with quotes from another of Mohafez’ poems (“Finally") led to Olicías’ song “Finally“. The full and unedited version of “summonings“ serves as a manifesto of sorts within the album’s artwork.  

The exchange between the author Sudabeh Mohafez and the two women in Olicía was one of the earliest within the process that would become “Out of the Blue”. Fama M’Boup: “’Finally’ was a process, a journey that brought the album to its final form. Anna showed me Sudabeh's ‘zehn zeilen buch’ about ten years ago and I've been reading in it ever since. Getting in touch with her about two years ago was a big step for us, and now it feels like a full circle moment on many different levels.” Sudabeh’s writing picks up themes or images of the other projects within “Out of the Blue” and weaves them into its internal narrative. The piece of cloth from “Bloom” is turned into a metaphor for renewal and growth. The “safeguard cocoon” touches upon the idea of a suit of armor from “Warrioress”. The ideas behind ”Hidden Portraits” resurface in the line “be my portrait of self today […] my question, my dream, my brainteaser queen.” 

The “out of the blue” phrase used in the project title as well as in the text refers not only to happenstance and the unexpected, the mystery of creating something out of thin air. It also refers to the “Blues” – the despondence and grief that is inevitably associated with many of the topics. Anna-Lucia Rupp finds it important to emphasize the first two words of the phrase: “I like the optimism associated with an ‘out of the blue’ - something beautifully unexpected but also an emergence from states of sadness, grief or oppression, towards autonomy and a powerful breath of fresh air." It holds true for both, Sudabeh’s text as well as Olicía’s project of dialogue and co-creation: summonings | Finally lay out a genealogy of guiding lights.

Sudabeh Mohafez

After living in Tehran, Berlin and Lisbon, Sudabeh Mohafez is currently based in the Southwest of Germany. She studied music, English, and education, only to then launch her literary career with the acclaimed collection of short stories, Wüstenhimmel Sternenland, in 2004. Meanwhile she is the author of novels, short prose, poetry, essays, plays, and portraits. Her work has been awarded numerous scholarships and prizes. She has taught literary writing at the Hildesheim Literature Institute and the Department of Architecture and Art at ETH Zurich. She also held the Poetics lecturing posts at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences and LMU Munich. In addition to her artistic activities, she works as a psycho-oncologist and couples therapist.

https://www.sudabehmohafez.de/de

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue is a cycle of songs and corresponding works of art that are born from dialogue – from conversation and exchange between the two musicians in Olicía and artists in other genres, such as painting, fashion, dance, literature, film making, design, or arts and crafts. The works are gradually developed, ping-ponged back and forth, playfully shaped into their final form. Learning and borrowing from one another in the process - adapting strategies, materials, structures, or approaches. From an exchange of ideas and sentiments and their - at times - vague and fuzzy articulations into dots and notes, shapes and chords, textures, patterns, configurations, and designs. In the end, the result will be two separate works of art, existing on equal footing, sharing the same seed, still conversing with one another, complementing one another, or simply exploring the same ideas while venturing out into opposite directions.