See (l) ne Performance by Joanna Pawlik: Audible: as part of the ON (A) -OFF cycle. Alternative Women's and Minority Practices

The body occupies a central place in feminist theory, however, the experiences of women with disabilities have long remained on the margins of feminist movements. The intersectional perspective allows us to look at femininity and disability not as separate categories, but as experiences that interpenetrate each other.

In the performance “Audible” Joanna Pawlik uses sound as a sign of presence. An integral element of the action is a costume designed by the artist, making sounds during movement. It refers to the historical practice of using knobs and bells by people suffering from leprosy. Their sound signaled presence, becoming at the same time a sign of social distancing and isolation.

The history of women with disabilities reveals a special paradox of visibility. Their bodies may attract attention because of their dissimilarity, while their experience of femininity, sexuality, or the right to self-determination may be invisible. Contemporary feminist thought increasingly incorporates intersectionality, incorporating the experience of disability into reflections on femininity, autonomy, and the right to self-representation.

Pawlik takes on the historical sign of stigmatization and reverses its meaning. That which was supposed to warn of the appearance of the Other becomes a consciously produced signal of its own presence. “Audible” triggers the tension between visibility and audibility, directing attention to the experience of women with disabilities and their place in the history of female emancipation.

“Audible” by Joanna Pawlik is the last of three performances of the series “ON (A) -OFF. Alternative female and minority practices”, implemented as part of the project “Widzia (l) ne. The Art of Women.” Each of the shows takes a different perspective on performance practices, giving voice to experiences and identities that have remained on the margins of mainstream art over the years.

For whom: AdultsDuration: 30 minCost: 15 złTickets to be purchased at the ticket office on the day of the event.

photo courtesy artist

Joanna Pawlik — visual artist and performer. In her work, she proposes a radical strategy of presence: the disabled, feminine and exposed body becomes a medium of art and an instrument of social criticism. In keeping with the tradition of feminist art, Pawlik introduces the perspective of disability studies, redefining the meaning of corporeality deviating from the norm. Her practice has a political dimension — it is an opposition to marginalization and an attempt to imagine new forms of community. She has collaborated with, among others, Zachęta — National Gallery of Art, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, MOCAK, Wrocław Contemporary Museum, Bunkrem Sztuki, CSW Kronika in Bytom, Arsenal Gallery in Poznań and Zamek Cultural Center in Poznań. Her works can be found in the collections of Bunker Sztuki, MOCAK and Zachęta Sztuki Contemporary in Szczecin.