Maria Nikiforaki - Rituals For New Futures
A presentation of the research made in Madrid for the work Rituals For New Futures: La creación de una heroína by Maria Nikiforaki. Including research the artist made with dance communities in Madrid and looking into the connection to the public space and locations in Madrid which hold environmental significance.
The presentation was accompanied by Tania González, performer of the work presented and social anthropologist. Tania offered anthropological perspectives of the public space and the community's sense of belonging through performative practices.
An audio interview the artist did with Blanca DV was also presented for the first time on the matter of sustainability and future through ecofeminist perspectives.
Blanca is the co co-ordinator of the Ecofeministas group, part of the Eccologistas en Acción.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
RITUALS FOR NEW FUTURES is an ongoing project that will explore how rituals can be a powerful tool for shaping future political landscapes. What role can rituals play in resistance movements, and how might they contribute to the formation of a collective political identity. Its main focus will be rituals as politics of the future and politics of resistance. Hannah Arendt described that “we have arrived in a situation where we do not know — at least not yet — how to move politically.” That we yet have to arrive at kinetic knowledge of movement that can lead to freedom, where we find the true meaning of politics.
Rituals For New Futures : La Creación de Una Heroína is the first chapter of the works situated in Madrid and is focused on the air as a spirit. The work intertwines the essence of air as a fundamental natural element with a narrative journey, suggesting a unique exploration of environmental consciousness through a blend of visual storytelling and supernatural elements.
Through the process of a promenade, the heroine uncovers the hidden voices and stories of the air. Her journey is spiritual, allowing her to communicate with the air itself, revealing its memories, warnings, and wisdom.
Drawing inspiration from the idea of unlearning history, the project will look into creating futures for precarious bodies through ritualistic forms and performative enactments. This process will involve studying communities with a focus on how ritualistic practices like street community dance for example, or the public space play a role in conserving identity and future phantasies.
