"Ich bin Unica Zürn" / Eine Katharsis auf Island

Beat Dietrich reads from Pola Polanski's latest novel at the Dreigroschentheater. The author will be present.

"Ich bin Unica Zürn - Eine Katharsis auf Island" by Pola Polanski moves between literary thriller, surrealist homage and psychological introspection. The story of Anne, a burnt-out writer who is drawn into a nightmarish spiral of madness and self-discovery by the work of surrealist artist Unica Zürn, casts a spell over the reader that is difficult to break free from.

Iceland's barren yet hypnotic landscapes provide the perfect setting for Anne's hallucinatory journey. Nature almost becomes a living character here - unpredictable, mystical and ominous. At the same time, Polanski captures the surrealistic elements of Zürn by working with linguistic images that are as disturbing as they are poetic.

The story unfolds like a fever dream: reality and madness blur, and the reader never knows what Anne is actually experiencing and what her unstable mind is making her believe. Polanski skillfully explores the boundaries between art and obsession, between inspiration and self-destruction. In the process, Unica Zürn, a real-life artist and writer, becomes a projection screen for Anne's inner struggles.
The dialogues with the "voice from beyond" - whether it is Zürn's ghost or Anne's own fragmented psyche remains deliberately vague - are one of the highlights of the novel. They reveal not only Anne's inner turmoil, but also a fascinating reflection on the life and art of Zürn himself.

The dark subject matter of Ich bin Unica Zürn, paired with a fragmentary narrative style and surrealistic inserts, challenges the reader. But those who embrace it will be rewarded with an intense, almost cathartic reading experience. Pola Polanski impressively shows how thin the line is between genius and madness - and leaves us with the agonizing question of whether Anne has actually conquered her demons or just given them a new voice.