Taking the Aesthetics of Resistance (Peter Weiss, 1975) as a starting point, the group decided to place their expressions in the format of an artistic manifesto; allowing both for a public declaration of ideas and aims in their work(s) now and going forward s well as suggesting ideas for reflection and reform in the arts and cultural sector more broadly. Each written, visual, performative or conceptual element therein represents a demand to reimagine resistance.

As a part of a research lab in Tanzquartier Wien, I created a choreographic score for participants, specifically people of color to observe the eyes around them as an active engagement with gaze or socialized perceptions of self vs. other. Within this score, participants are offered a real-time(re)negotiation of the everyday – allowing the stop to be informed by the stare.

THE SCORE

When using public transport to commute (to the store, to work, to friends, to the doctors, etc., etc.) I invited participants to keep count of how many people look/stare at them from the time they enter the public transport (U-Bahn, bus, tram) to the time they exited.

 After they exited and they continued to walk to their destination, but I invited them to practice a score of randomly stopping mid-stride, closing their eyes, and standing for as many seconds as the number of looks/stares you counted on the public transport. For example, if they counted 5 looks/stares, they would stand with their eyes closed for 5 seconds.

 After they finished counting, they opened their eyes and took a picture of their feet in 1 of 3 poses.

Check out the short film HERE

Imaging Otherwise Research Laboratory

November 6-14, 2020 

Tanzquartier Wien, Austria

Theoretical Framework: Janine Jembere, Lab leader: Tonica Hunter, Images: Ina Ayodgan, Graphic Design: Guilherme Maggessi, Lab Support: Andra Cioltan-Draghiciu, Lab participants: Ulduz Ahmadzadeh, Ayo Aloba, Ina Aydogan, Faris Cuchi Gezahegn, Klara Kostal, Efua Jarvis, Imani Rameses, Adia Trischler