Artistic Research

FEMonumental Transformance is a transmedia performance art method to transform patriarchal monuments into feminist monumental practices. It takes place in the rural area of Vorarlberg (AT) focusing on the monuments placed there.

Kulisic & Tudman (2009) argue that monuments communicate thought, symbolism and hierarchies of a society. In a patriarchal society, these representations manifest and recreate patriarchal domination among other forms of domination, not only in public space, but also in society and in the incorporated mental structures of people (Rose 1993, Lerner 1986). The project experiments with ways to transform patriarchal monuments into feminist monumental practices using performative explorations, experimental movie making and overpainting of performance photographs. The aim here is to detect patriarchal structures and construct publicly alternative, intersectional queer feminist (hooks, Grosz, Ahmed) forms of commemoration and worshipping in their place. Part of the project is also the creation of the FEMonumental Guide, a toolkit in the form of a set of methods, which can be used by other artists to transform monuments in different socio-political contexts.

This project was developed as part of the Master Performing Public Space under the supervision of Danae Theodoridou.

Read more about the project here.

Transform a patriarchal monument in your neighbourhood with the FEMonumental Guide, a DIY workshop.