Romantic Afternoon (2011), on the other hand, took very human seeming persons in pairs of two and lumped them together, mouth to mouth, sometimes with physical contact to other body parts, sometimes not, in every possible and more and more impossible variations; their changing of partners so undramatic, that a kiss itself seemed detached from the notion of feeling, and yet, conversely, the mechanics of personal gestures and loving affections became visible, staged with tender curiosity. Leaving all of it wonderfully unresolved and whimsical, just like lovers will, and actors of ‚love‘ in various media incarnations. If one takes a closer look. tanz

In the light theatre space, actors and public are illuminated in the same way and visible for everybody – nothing was hidden, nobody was able to withdraw. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. You took along thoughts about culture, tolerance, passion, sex, intimacy and the meaning of the kiss in our society. Der Westen

And right: it depends on the correct balance. And also on what it activates in the audience if three people kiss each other, or a woman kisses a woman, or a man kisses a man, or if it is taken for granted that partners are exchanged. In conclusion: (…) that it is possible to create political performance nowadays without resorting to finger-wagging. DER STANDARD (Austria)

The 6th edition of the meeting for new performance art evidenced quality especially during the closing weekend. The duo Billinger/Schulz from Düsseldorf invited to a special form of transgressing borders with Romantic Afternoon. Six young performers wearing casual clothes dared the difficult step from a single being to the other. The kissing dance remains silent, strangely void of emotion and overly individual. Verena Billinger and Sebastian Schulz question the act itself and cleverly manage to conjure thoughts about the subtext of that which is just being seen. An admirable feat by the performers. Hamburger Abendblatt

This is a kiss to the whole world. Billinger and Schulz virtuously show just how standardized the gestures that stand for big feelings are, and how simple associations can transform meaning. They have managed to compose a kiss-choreography that continuously interlaces and upturns the characters and gender constellations anew (…) with surprising turns, melancholic flashes and lots of irony. As the kisses continue and continue, it becomes exhausting not only for the performers. But also this speaks in favour for Romantic Afternoon, because Billinger and Schulz have truly looked very closely, also into the audience, who first of all have to endure so much simulated intimacy. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

They don’t teach. They observe bodies, tiny impulses and movements and by that arouse the audience’s delight to such way of watching. In Romantic Afternoon, a man stands in front of a woman, eyes closed. Her face moves towards his; the gap between the two bodies vibrates by the touch which is wanted yet not controlled. The Afternoon is a big „yes“. Everyone kisses everyone. Anyway it never looks random, exchangeable or like an actor’s routine. This lively rest is the benefit of the piece. It deals with the very contemporary doubt about the oscillating borders of private and public, about putting in scene and what is „real“ in a very clever and playful way. Rheinische Post