Collection of FEMonumental practices and ideas
by various artists and creatives using the FEMonumental Guide
FEMonumental Transformance by Petra Van Aken
with FEMonumental Guide version1
in Utrecht, Netherlands
monument 1: Statue of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Wilhelminapark
monument 2: equastrian statue of Saint Willibrordus, Janskerkhof
monument 3 (Transformance planned): Fountain Feest der muzen (Celebration of the muse), Lucasbolwerk
Transforming Schiller
FEMonumental Workshop with artists from House of Crinoline, Cooperation with the Citizen.KANE.Kollektiv
in Stuttgart, Germany
Monument: Statue of Schiller / Schillerdenkmal
February 2024
participating artists: Esther Falk, Ida Liliom, Christian Müller, Vittoria Mensa, Jamie Carr (PURPLE SUGGAR), Jay Barry Gurondiano (JJ SUN MILAN), Ariclenes Agostinho Garcia (Njenga Oricci)
workshop facilitator: Conni Holzer
In a one-day workshop, we explored the Schiller statue together, tested it for patriarchal structures and transformed the results into patriarchal statements from the statue. We returned to the statue and performed an improvised Transformance, playing with music, dance, costumes and painting.
The workshop was part of the "House of Crinoline - Willkommen im Post-Patriarchat" performance saloon in Stuttgart, which celebrated works of Sophie Albrecht, a writer and actress. She was a friend of Schiller, played in some of his plays and wrote together with him - she was never mentioned as a writer of his plays. Many german cities have a statue of Schiller, but there is none of Sophie Albrecht. On this account we transformed Schiller. An installation of the materials and results from the workshop became part of the performance saloon and the documentation video became part of the performance.
House of Crinoline - Willkommen im Post-Patriarchat (welcome to post-patriarchy) - a saloon performance
Installation "Transforming Schiller"
What are the main ideas behind your Femmonumental practice
1. She must behave like a queen, actually like a king. A man and not showing her emotions. (my memory) That's why I step into her shoes and let her show the emotion I think she felt when she was forced to flee the Netherlands in the 2nd world war.
2. It is very noticeable that Wilhelmina is at eye level. And the man on horseback on a huge pedestal. He is unreachable and lonely, I think. I want to make him accessible so that People can see up close and I also want to give him the opportunity to descend and be among the People less lonely I think. That's why I gave him an escalator. Or us actually. I was thinking about an escalator Because it's probably old and then an escalator is quite useful.
What is the main patriarchal structure/ statement you want to change?
1. That as head of state you are not allowed to show your emotions. You can't show your emotions in politics. Emotions show your involvement. Show what means to you.
2. Those men often gained status in those days by being placed on a pedestal at a lonely height. Images of women are often touchable at eye level, men are not. I don't want to remove the plinth but keep it. So that when you go up the escalator you yourself also feel what it is like to sit at a lonely height.
What is the center of your practice?
1. The center is the queen, the authority, the values she must propagate. So the straitjacket she's in.
2. The center is questioning the position of power by putting someone on a high pedestal and then again on a horse.
What shape does your practice take?
1. It is a naturalistic bronze statue of a queen of the Netherlands.
2. It is a bronze statue of a man on a horse. On a very high plinth.
How long does your practice have?
1. there was a few minutes observation, 10 minutes improvisation dance. video still post-processing.
2. there was an observation of several minutes, pictures were taken. The post-processing of video still and thought.
Who created your practice?
I did that myself on my own in both cases.
Can you describe or visualize your practice in detail with video or photos.
see appendix.
What do you need to realize your practice?
In both cases, time, a camera, a tripod, a computer, preferably a copy machine, but the ink ran out, too bad.
