Megan Lorraine Debin, “Bloody Body Doubles: Performing Violence in the Borderlands,” (paper presented at “Theater and Civil Society: Politics, Public Space and Performance,” Brown International Advanced Research Institute, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island June 9-23, 2012).
Megan Debin’s article, Bloody Body Double engages the concept of language as a space for potential change, where language here refers to an artistic medium of performance. Debin examines the work of contemporary artists who have used their own body as a surrogate for the victims of the violent crimes that have plagued Mexico. Despite some scholars critiques that artist are utilizing the victims situations as an opportunity to gain interest, Debin argues that artlist like Lorena Wolfer, testimonies of the victims render them visible by the artist performances. Debine also highlights the contract of addressing violence in terms of gender.
ReplyDeleteThe example of Lorena Wolffers performance entitled “Mientras Dormiamos” Wolffer uses her body as a substitute for the fifty separate cases of feminicidio in Juarez. During the performance, Wolffer enters the space while audio news clips play via speakers, she sits on a surgical table dressed as the women of the maquiladoras would. She proceeds to remove her clothing in a process of vulnerability and with a surgical marker delineated a map of the many wounds these victims suffered. By offering her own physical body as a vehicle for a symbolic representation of the virtually unknown victims, Wolffer gives these women a voice. In contrast to Wolfers physical approach, the male artist who were featured in an exhibition pertaining to border violence, produced work that removes the physical body entirely. In Enrique Jeziks project entitled “ Seis cubicos metricos de materia organica” the artist uses “organic material” as a substitute of the victims of border violence. The title itself indicates a mathematical equation, 6 cubic meters of organic material, further turning these victims into another anonymous entity. In an attempt to defend the creative process I accepted the the males indirect approach as a way to illustrate something that was perhaps foreign for the male body, but as I contemplated this thought I came to the conclusion that there is no reason why a man cannot engage these topics by manipulating his body, and perhaps we are just socialized to believe that this would be strange and unacceptable. I would be interested in seeing a man use his body to address these concern and i wonder if he would gain criticism for doing so.
The article "Bloody Body Doubles: Performing Testimony in the Borderlands" by Megan Lorraine Debin gives us an overview of the violence that goes on in the city of Juarez, Mexico, highlighting those who use the language of performance art to "speak" of the countless unreported deaths. Some of these artists are also activists, such as the students holding up signs: holding Mexico's "National Action Party" responsible for 60,000 deaths and others displaying the words "No + Sangre (No More Blood" and "Todos tenemos sangre en las manos (We all have blood on our hands)". We also see feminist artists using their own bodies to take on the pain of the victims of violence and men participating in Mariana David's "Proyecto Juarez", creating works that bring light to border violence. The performance that struck me the most was that of Nayla Altamirano. In her work "Las Nobodies", she collects bras left along the border, and wears them as she crosses into the U.S. She brings into the "land of opportunity" a piece of the women who looking to escape their realities most likely never made it to their destination. In the second part of the performance she undresses, takes off the bras and washes them, as Debin points out : "the bras become the signifiers for the victims". This is sort of like a ritual where the victims are glorified, brought to light and cleansed of the wrong-doing done onto them.
ReplyDeleteIn Megan Lorraine Debin's article"Bloody Body Doubles:Performing Violence in the Borderlands" she gives us some insight into Performance art in Mexico being means of communicating for those who do not have a voice. There is much emphasis within the article on the practice of performance artist in Mexico using their bodies as a way to express the tragedies and deaths in Mexico. Debin states: "In the case of Mexico, this has manifested in the development of a body of work by contemporary artists whose practices center primarily on the interchangeability of the physical body as a means of speaking out on behalf of victims whose voices have been silenced by feminicidio2, cartel-related homicide, and institutionalized border violence" (1, Debin). She goes on to give examples of how this is performed by various Mexican Artist such as Lorenna Wolfer's performance "Mientras dormíamos" in which she utilizes her body as a tool to express the tragedies of the woman killed in Juarez.
ReplyDeleteDebin goes on the state that performance art as a representation of speaking for the individuals who cannot speak is an activist art that is common within the international spectrum.
Often times we hear so many voices, so many words. Whether they are making promises, making excuses, or telling us a story. Yet, all that meaning may mean nothing; when there is no action. In Megan Debin's article "Bloody Body Doubles: Performing Violence in the Borderlands" we see that these actions are reverse.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is now displayed through art actions, and performances. No words. Just actions. What a relief. In the cases of "las mertas de Juarez" we see that words aren't the only means of communication. Mothers, fathers, neighbors, everyone deplores with action. Whether its the painted pink crosses, mounds of dirt, dead animals; everything is speaking voluminously.
Art is something that has broken barriers, caused controversies, and started movements. Art DOES communicate! Lorenna Wolfer, did not speak during her performance (even though there were news reports playing in the background) her actions of marking her body, spoke, in fact yelled the meaning with greater significance. These women are dying, here you see there death.
Anthropologist study this language--body language. This "physical communication" is a language of its own, speaking through action is something that can raise a lot more awareness. Sometimes silence is louder than noise.