Awakening / Soft tools for self-expression and social disobedience / group exhibition with performance sessions and workshops, September 2019
Awakening / Soft tools for self-expression and social
disobedience
Visual feast and performance sessions
4 - 14 September,
2019
VERNISSAGE 5-8pm, 4
September, 2019, FERi Galeria
Melike Futtu (TR),
Karina Mendreczky (HU), Laura Ociepa (PL), Emma Fuchs Sjövall (SE), Śomi
Śniegocka (PL), Veronika Szabó (HU)
Curated by Patrycja
Rup (PL)
In 1966 Czech new
wave filmmaker Věra Chytilová directed Daisies / Sedmikrásky – the ode to
female freedom, youth, joy and disobedience with no strings attached. Her
charismatic unforgettable characters Maria I and Maria II seek new strategies
to transform stiff reality. They successfully use their flair and creativity to
present a model for strong and reliable female collaboration. Two smart and
playful girls find their way to trick the oppressive system. Even though it has
been more than half a century since the film was presented, it offers the
viewer a symbolic toolkit for female insubordination. ‘Awakening’ grows from
these strategies and applies its instructions through the filter of
contemporary social and political sensitivity of international artists. ‘Soft
tools’ stand here for all the smart, brave and creative strategies to express
female disobedience and empowering collaboration, also by creating a safe space
for free idea exchange and discussion.
From the Awakening
opening, viewers will be invited to explore an art installation created by
Hungarian artist Karina Mendreczky, arranged as a scenography for evenings
filled with happenings and performances. Installation project embraces works
from artist’s multiple series from last two years and smoothly channels the
spirit of Daisies. Mendreczky creates ephemeral fictional landscapes using
light and shadow, often and willingly refers to childhood memories to create
dreamlike ambience. Her collection of daily-usage items translates gallery
space into imaginary house, where well-known simplicity meets gentle nostalgia
for the past, memories and untold desires. Installation will expand with video
documentation after each performance and also will include additional artefacts
related to performative sessions.
Performance sessions
are the essential part of the project and will be dedicated to interactive
meetings with the audience: triggering collaboration, experience exchange and
inviting sometimes unconventional rituals of free expression with a strong
reference to important female figures and archetypes, feminist art and
anti-patriarchal practices. The role of the artist here is not only
presenting/delivering a piece in the aseptic gallery space, but reaching for
the opposite experience. Performers will aim to connect with the audience and interact
by providing a sense of participation and comfort. We want to reclaim the
symbolic gallery space where nothing is to be touched and visitors are expected
to be quiet, no one laughs, sings and discuss. Our ultimate goal is to go
beyond the traditional artist-viewer relationship. As we intend to figuratively
and literally cross the gallery’s threshold, we want to make contact with local
network of female creatives and activists, but also to rediscover overlooked
and neglected neighboring public spaces.
Among Awakening
programs
Vernissage, September
4, 18:00 Opening speech and artist talk
Śomi Śniegocka
(PL) - dream 234972
reborn third time in
one of Mars' moon crater
Ritual performance.
Movement, voice, sound, video.
Every awakening is
dyining, every awakening is a new birth.
I dreamt that I woke
up.
Laura Ociepa (PL) -
Licorice / Scent installation, ritual, candies for guests
I have a bitter
distaste for the taste of licorice. It’s one of those plants that people either
love or hate. However sweet root is a plant of love and passion ruled by Venus
herself. Theoretically it gives control, practically it raises blood pressure.
Chew a piece of candy
and try to swallow. The candy goes down, acting antibacterial, making your
words lovely convincing.
Letter exchange
“Woman to Woman”
At the opening, the
audience will be invited for collaboration letter exchange “Woman to Woman”.
It’s an open action/invitation to visitors to pick up envelopes prepared by
artists and discover their unique content. These private messages may take
shape of traditional letter, picture, drawing or a small object - basically
these stand for messages we find important to share with other women. Envelopes
will be available in the gallery from the opening event and visitors can also
bring their letters created for this occasion and leave them in the gallery.
September 5, 17:00
Laura Ociepa (PL),
Patrycja Rup (PL) - DIY zine workshop - registration needed
Zine workshop is an
interactive part of the “Awakening” project, where visitors are not only able
to observe pieces presented in the gallery, but to become active contributors
and co-creators delivering their ideas in the form of hand-made zines in a
surrealist manner.
Śomi Śniegocka
(PL) - Surreal City Drift - registration
needed
September 5,
16:00
September 7, 16:00
Śomi inspired by
avant-garde strategy of city drift (Guy Debord’s “dérive”) invites wanderers
for blindfolded walks already for a few years in different locations and
soundscapes. Her guided blindwalks provide an enchanting surrealistic daydreaming
experience. These performative drifts based on 1:1 experience between
guest-wanderer and guide-performer, include poetry, storytelling, improvisation
and deep listening.
September 6, 21:00
night drift with a group - registration needed
Artist will provide
also one unique night drift with a group of wanderers.
September 11, 16:00
Melike Futtu (TR) -
Political Theatre Workshop: “Theatre of
the Oppressed Praxis for the Empowerment of Female and Queer Body in Public
Space” at Rakoczi Square - open event
The workshop will
focus on how we can breakdown the binary oppositions which labels the sexual
identity and gender identity by practising the theatre of the oppressed method.
In order to illustrate how theatre of the oppressed can be praxis for emancipation,
we will reflect on our experiences on the theatre of the oppressed as
spect-actor under the contexts of forum theatre, physical theatre and image
theatre techniques.
September 14, 16:00 -
Finissage
Emma Fuchs Sjovall
(SE) - Urban Acupuncture / happening at Rákóczi Tér - open event
Swedish artist Emma
Fuchs Sjovall in her latest work will use strategies of "urban
acupuncture" movement. She aims to create a safe space for the local
community, where it representatives will be able to meet and consume their
district as a cultural expression through art, history and architecture. Artist
refers to a turbulent infamous past of the Józsefváros district and its
exploited inhabitants - sexual workers. Emma invites local community for a
therapeutic group experience - drift through past to heal the body of the city.
Veronika Szabó (HU) -
Gâteau de boudoirs, performance
“One should try
everything!” – say Marie I and Marie II in “Daisies” (1966). We invite you to
take a surreal trip into an aesthetic of Czech new wave masterpiece. Join
Veronika Szabó in the delightful leisure scene and taste the forbidden fruit of
(the politics of) knowledge. This feminist exploration of an infamous evergreen
female representation offers an unapologetic pleasure of smashing taboos of
femininity and takes revenge for male gaze trap. You can play with her, you can
mess around with her, but be aware: flower wreath may still have spikes.
Participants are welcome to join one-to-one performance sessions, which will
last about 10 minutes, no registration needed.
Links:
