PERFORMANCE:Fenia Kotsopoulou-Dead butterflies are still Alive
On my doorstep I found a dead butterfly staring into the void in silence.
On the surface of a black cube
Find a hand from the other side
Devour the fear
Scrape the shame
Inject the flower’s pain and beauty’s decay
The voice’s gate shall stay open
Wrap your centre with fr-agility, make it your armour
Bite the sin with grace
Dissent
Transformation happens in the dark
Dead butterflies are still Alive; they sip from muddy puddles, stare at you in silence
And then, they fly again.
A live performance consisting of seven actions rooted in the urgent call for social transformation in both personal and collective level. This was performed on 518 Democracy Square’s pavement marked by histories of resistance and resilience; the same square where May 18th Gwangju’s Uprising was triggered (1980) by student demonstrations in defiance of the new military edict closing the universities and stifling political dissent. The Gwangju massacre of 200 people became an important landmark in the struggle for South Korean democracy. Just a reminder of the deep need to keep uprising against militarism, fascism and oppression.
Action 1: In-stability
Attempting to balance on a small black cube. I extend my hand to be reached by someone. To find equilibrium at the shoulder of the other can be enough.
Action 2: Fear-less
Writing on rice paper the word fear in Korean, whilst using the body of the other as shelter from the rain. Swallowing the paper slowly.
Action 3: Shame-less
Taking out of my mouth a steal sponge. After pulling it apart I use it to scrape my chest.
Action 4: Pain
18 red roses on my arms. I remove the petals and I offer the stems to bystanders. I crush the petals; I squeeze until their red juice comes out. Using a syringe, I spill out the liquid onto the cavity of my throat.
Action 5: Fr-agility
I wrap my waist tight with a white and red tape on which is written the word: FRAGILE. The breathing is compromised.
Action 6: Dissent
A green apple and a charcoal stick. I bite once the apple and with the rest of it I smash the charcoal on the pavement before stepping on it.
Action 7: Catharsis
I raise my arms. I dance.
The actions finish. I go to find a shelter. It still rains and someone from the audience approach to help me to cut the tape from my waist.
I can breathe deeply again.
CV: Fenia (1981) is a Greek cross-disciplinary, award-winning artist, currently based in Lincoln (UK), creatively navigating the fields of dance, performance (art), video, photography, documentation and their intersection. Based on a rhizomatic approach of making art, pivotal topics of her fluid and hybrid practice include: the Body as gathering place of e-motions and site of transformation, personal and collective memory, (de)construction of fe/male identity, performativity of documentation, hairiness as political expressive tools of deviance. Collaboration, co-authorship and Co-creation are vital elements within her practice as she is constantly searching an holistic way to express her voice, vision, confusion, doubts, fears, and dissent. Fenia, holds an MFA in Choreographing Live Art (University of Lincoln, UK), a BA Honours in Dance (National Dance Academy of Rome, Italy), and a BA in Italian Language and Literature (Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki, Greece). Alongside her practice she teaches at the Master of Theatre practices (ArtEZ, Netherlands).
Website: feniakotsopoulou.wix.com/artist
