Photo Andrea Resner
In collaboration with Culture Hub Croatia and Tanja Ostojić
Feminism forgives is a performative act unwrapping the topic of the female body and sexuality in the sphere of Christian community. Motivated by the guilt and the prejudice of the sexually liberated woman by the institution of the Church, the author is re-enacting one of the iconic Biblical stories as a form of critique. By symbolic gesture of washing the feet (just like Mary Magdalene did to Jesus when she was asking for redemption for her sins) performance is inviting the audience to embody the role of institutionally stigmatized woman and the unexplored power she carries. Contrary to the Biblical story, the audience was washing the feet of the feminist body (author) who had written on her chest “feminism forgives”. Wearing nothing but a skirt and bra, the author is exposing her vulnerability using it as the symbol of motherly understanding and care. Therefore, instead of begging for forgiveness, by the gesture of washing the feet of the misplaced feminist body author is behaving like the medium through which one is encouraged for the “sins”, opposite to the atonement and change. The performance took place in Split, Croatia in front of Saint Domnius Cathedral (Katedrala Sv. Duje). Croatia still is a religiously homogenous country where more than 90 percent of the population is identifying as Christian not leaving the young generations much space to explore and own their body and identity.
︎︎︎full performance