NARRATIVES OF DESIRE AND DISOBEDIENCE

18 YEARS OF PELE IN THE FIELD OF PARTICIPATORY ARTISTIC PRACTICES

Abstract

Between 2019 and 2022, PELE coordinated the project Enxoval: Time and Space of Resistance, which, in addition to re-signifying the Enxoval (bridal trousseau) as the material expression of a social construction of “being a woman”, aimed to uncover the stories of the women who inspire us – “As Bravas” (The Brave Ones). This group of women highlighted the need to make female and feminist narratives visible, expanding them from the intimate sphere into the public space. Following this intention, the idea for the creation of TransFemina – Intersectional Landscapes emerged. This project is grounded in a reflection on the public space – both physical and symbolic – occupied by women, and in the desire to build bridges with other feminist companions who, in various cities across Europe, engage daily in the same cause. This led to the TransFemina Laboratory – Porto, a space for activating and experimenting with poetic and political practices focused on occupying public space. As with all creative processes developed by PELE over the past 17 years, we began by listening and carefully observing our surroundings. In this case, the questions that inspired TransFemina were embodied and explored in depth: How much space do we occupy? Where is the symbolic representation of women in the cultural heritage of cities, and what does it look like? Which bodies remain silenced and rendered invisible? How do we move through the streets? What places can we – and do we want to – occupy and re-signify? This reflection documents the germination of this collective, the process of artistic creation, and the public actions generated so far, focusing on their potential to occupy, inspire, and stir places and bodies.