How can we recast feminism for our late capitalist, crisis-hit world? You’ll find answers by the dozen at Protagonistas, a 12-day program of performances, screenings and discussions hosted by HAU (21.06–2.07.2023). The festival has one main message: whether it’s Colombian activists or Iranian feminists, the struggle of women is absolutely – necessarily – a revolutionary one. The festival homes in on specific national struggles, such as the anti-rape protests in Chile that inspired feminist performance group Lastesis, whose choreographed piece will be staged on Dorothea-Schlegel-Platz in Mitte (26.6. 21h30). Buenos Aires-born dancer Marina Otero, meanwhile, brings the spotlight on the individual with her bluntly-titled work Fuck Me, which has her sit on the stage while five naked men dance around her. The conclusion: strength and meritocracy aren’t as desirable as we might think. Besides stage acts, the festival includes a three-day symposium, Beyond Equality, where figures from prominent feminist movements spanning North Africa to Latin America talk reproductive labor, ecofeminisms and how women’s struggles will transform society for all. (read more)Back to the stage: not to be missed is the German premiere of House of Desaparecidxs, a performance by Colombian artist and activist Pau(la) Chaves Bonilla that turns the HAU3 auditorium into a psychedelic haunted house (28.06. 19h). Blending movement, sound and text, the piece reflects on militant activism in 1970s Colombia as well as the artist’s own political exile ten years ago. Bringing real political events into a utopian space, Chaves Bonilla explains the importance of resistance and dissidence to feminism. Fighting the patriarchy with neon lights? Viva la liberación!
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Vincent van Woerkom & Lastesis / Illustration: Sudhna Prasad
Protagonistas (21.06–2.07.2023) takes place across all HAU venues. Tickets for the performances can be purchased online.
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