VOLTAS | «Corpo-travessia» by Melissa Rodrigues with Carolina Varela
11 Maio 2024 18h00
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VOLTAS | Ciclo de Performances
«Corpo-travessia» de Melissa Rodrigues com Carolina Varela
Image: Mafalda Garcia
«Corpo-travessia» de Melissa Rodrigues com Carolina Varela
Taking place in five sessions, between March and May 2024, the VOLTAS performance cycle is led by 6 international artists/activists who, with their work, address universal issues linked to the protection of the values of democratic societies and the development of an awareness collective: the decolonization of knowledge, political oppression, social inequality, gender issues, climate change.
The revolution is considered a fundamental point of convergence for the development of a collective consciousness, the place to once again define the borders and characteristics of minorities, or rethink the instruments for welcoming and protecting democratic society. Thus, reflection on the 25th of April becomes an opportunity to explore current political and social contestations not only in Portugal, but also at an international level.
With performances by Katarina Balunova (SK), Laura Stinger (US), Letícia Larin (BR), Melissa Rodrigues (CV/PT) with Carolina Varela (PT) and Roxanna Albayati (UK/IR) with Rebecca Moradalizadeh (PT/IR).
The revolution is considered a fundamental point of convergence for the development of a collective consciousness, the place to once again define the borders and characteristics of minorities, or rethink the instruments for welcoming and protecting democratic society. Thus, reflection on the 25th of April becomes an opportunity to explore current political and social contestations not only in Portugal, but also at an international level.
With performances by Katarina Balunova (SK), Laura Stinger (US), Letícia Larin (BR), Melissa Rodrigues (CV/PT) with Carolina Varela (PT) and Roxanna Albayati (UK/IR) with Rebecca Moradalizadeh (PT/IR).
The sound performance «Corpo-travessia» by Melissa Rodrigues and Carolina Varela, taking place on the 11th of May at 6:00 pm, takes the format of an audiowalk/audiowalk to be activated individually by each participant in their walk/walk around the area. São Bento/Rua da Boavista/Poço dos Negros.
The play is enjoyed using a QR code, we invite the public to bring their cell phone and headphones.
The play is enjoyed using a QR code, we invite the public to bring their cell phone and headphones.
“In the early hours of the morning, laughing with hope, we heard in the distance, bodies in transit, made of cement and bleach.
Morna, coladera and funáná, lively people, tired bodies, dreaming of the future.
What freedom was experienced? By whom? Under what to look?
How many dreams have died in these streets?
Freedom insists on not passing through here.
Morna, coladera and funáná, lively people, tired bodies, dreaming of the future.
What freedom was experienced? By whom? Under what to look?
How many dreams have died in these streets?
Freedom insists on not passing through here.
And we, daughters of Independence, hugging the memories forged in the struggles, we shout: labanta braço nu badja nôs liberdadi.”
VOLTAS is an integral part of the “Lápis Azul / Lápis Vermelho” project, with joint support from the Portuguese Republic – Culture / Directorate-General for the Arts and the 50th Anniversary 25th of April Commemorative Commission.
Image: Mafalda Garcia
BIOGRAPHIES:
MELISSA RODRIGUES (Praia, Cape Verde) is a visual artist, curator, programmer and art educator. Graduated in Anthropology UNL/FCSH and postgraduate in Performance from FBAUP. As a researcher in the areas of Performance and Visual Culture, she has developed research in Image and Representation of the Black Body and Afrodiasporic Black Subjectivities.
Develops visual arts curation projects in independent spaces and in partnership with cultural institutions.
As a visual artist, she has presented her work in collective and individual exhibitions, conferences and interdisciplinary meetings.
She also collaborates with museums, exhibition spaces and visual arts and cinema programming in the curation, coordination and promotion of educational projects.
Melissa is a Speech Programmer at TBA – Teatro do Bairro Alto in Lisbon. She is one of the founding artists of UNA – União Negra das Artes.
Co-created the Arquipélago project of art and affective food.
Develops visual arts curation projects in independent spaces and in partnership with cultural institutions.
As a visual artist, she has presented her work in collective and individual exhibitions, conferences and interdisciplinary meetings.
She also collaborates with museums, exhibition spaces and visual arts and cinema programming in the curation, coordination and promotion of educational projects.
Melissa is a Speech Programmer at TBA – Teatro do Bairro Alto in Lisbon. She is one of the founding artists of UNA – União Negra das Artes.
Co-created the Arquipélago project of art and affective food.
CAROLINA VARELA was born in Coimbra in 1992. In 2013, she entered the jazz course at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa. In 2016 she joined Rosa Mimosa y Sus Mariposas as singer and keyboardist. In 2017, she joined as an actress the cast of "Ensaio para uma cartografia" by Mónica Calle, a project on which she works until 2023 and which features performances at the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, Festival Mirada (São Paulo), Utrecht Spring, Points Communs (Paris) and Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Zurich). Also in 2017 she joined the band Vitória & the Kalashnicoles as bassist and singer. In 2018 she was invited by Mónica Garnel to provide vocal support to the actors of "The Swimming Pool Party". Sound designer and composer of the show Aurora Negra co-created by Isabel Zuaa, Cleo Tavares and Nádia Yracema which premiered in September 2020 at TNDMii. Since then, she has continued her work with the collective in "Cosmos" (2022) and "A missão da missão"(2023). In 2021, “Carta” will debut on TNDMii and “O Escuro Que Te Ilumina ou As Últimas 7 Palavras de Cristo” at Culturgest, both by Mónica Calle. Also in 2021, she is part of the cast of "Aqui pra Dentro-O Golfinho André" by Miguel Branco, produced by the company Mascarenhas-Martins. In 2022 she debuts as the creator of the show "ANORMA", which also features Jorge Carvalhal and Sofia Vitória as co-creators, a project supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the GDA Foundation. In 2023 she premieres "BOOOM!-Une odyssée dans des territoires en lutte" at the Theater Vidy (Lausanne), which featured performances at the Théâtre du Grütli (Geneva) and at the Center de culture ABC (La Chaux-de-fonds). Also in 2023, she presents her first solo "Dragon Soup", as part of Kilombo at the Alkantara festival. She made her film debut with Leonor Teles' film "BAAN" in 2023, which had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. She is currently working on Cire Ndiaye's project "Eartha Quit" as an actress, which will premiere in June 2024 at the Temps d'Image festival.