Aprons of Power: Performative Female Body Against Repressive Laws
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Proposed paper focuses on scenographic methods that conceive protest movements in a visually compelling and functional way. Specifically, I will shed light on “The Artists' Campaign to Repeal Eighth Amendment” formation to demonstrate how scenographic approach to intersection of art and activism might contribute to social or even legal change. Mentioned collective was established in in 2015 to fight for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution which equated the life of a pregnant woman with that of a fetus. Originally for the EVA International Biennial of Art (2018), the collective prepared a procession which included the performance "Aprons of Power". In specific inconspicuous yet powerful costume design, various props, emotional choreography and live music, the women from the collective acted in the procession in order to address the stereotypes and archetypes of Catholic culture as well as rights to decide abouts own body. This performance was eventually realized in various Irish surroundings aiming in visual attack on the imagination of onlookers and emphasis on the demands of the formation. Given the fact that the Eighth Amendment was indeed eventually repealed in a public referendum in Ireland in 2018, I consider suggested performative procession a fitting example of powerful scenographic operation in public space. Therefore, I apply the findings of theorists Rachel Hann and Marsha Meskimmon from the fields of scenography and ecofeminism to demonstrate how the performative environment might be visually orchestrated to reinforce the emotional and rational layers of chosen goals. |
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