RITUALS FOR NEW FUTURES
LA CREACIÓN DE UNA HEROÍNA - Maria Nikiforaki
2024
CRA Centro de Residencias Artísticas Matadero (Madrid). Performer: Tania González
RITUALS FOR NEW FUTURES is an ongoing project that investigates the transformative power of rituals in shaping political landscapes. Through performance art, the project poses critical questions: What role can rituals play in resistance movements? How can they contribute to the formation of a collective political identity?
The quest for sustainability is deeply intertwined with the environmental crisis, ecological urgencies, and the spiritual dimensions of our existence. This project embraces the concept of unlearning history, seeking to create inclusive futures for precarious bodies through ritualistic forms and performative enactments. Through this lens, it addresses urgent ecological concerns but also embraces sci-fi feminism, envisioning alternative futures where marginalized voices are amplified.
The first chapter, LA CREACIÓN DE UNA HEROÍNA, is set against the backdrop of Madrid and centers on the air as a spirit. This exploration intertwines the elemental nature of air with a narrative journey that delves into environmental consciousness, blending visual storytelling with supernatural themes.
Through the process of a promenade, the heroine embarks on a spiritual quest, uncovering the hidden voices and stories carried by the air. This journey allows her to communicate with the air itself, revealing its memories, warnings, and wisdom. In doing so, the work challenges us to listen to the environment around us and to acknowledge the collective narratives that shape our futures.
Concept, direction: Maria Nikiforaki / Performance: Tania González / Camera and video editing: Maria Nikiforaki / Assistance: Cristina Zampoulaki / Documentation: Maria Nikiforaki, CRA
LA CREACIÓN DE UNA HEROÍNA was developed and presented at CRA Centro de Residencias Artísticas Matadero in Madrid. RITUALS FOR NEW FUTURES is part of the European Residency Program SAiR ‘Sustainability is in the Air’ 2024-2026 (Athens, Madrid, Prague, Ljubljana).
