Joanna Dudley in conversation with Marina Paulenka
Performance & Artist Talk
Joanna Dudley, photo: Stella Oliver
“We have the power to decide who and what we want to become,” says artist Joanna Dudley. “Through WE WILL SLAM YOU WITH OUR WINGS, these girls reclaim the power to choose their own fate.” In her seven-screen video installation, Dudley presents a transformative narrative: six girls, ages eight to 16, challenge the tragic fates of women in operatic arias, such as Dido, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Salome, turning them from victims to heroines. To dive deeper into the power of art for change, Dudley will join us for an artist talk with a special performance.
Performance
Get to know not only Joanna the visual artist, but Joanna the performer as well – tailored specifically for Fotografiska. The marching band BÄM! Drumline and the choir Sharena Gayda Berlin join forces with Joanna Dudley. These Berliner girls and young women are taking over Fotografiska and everything else that lays in their path by singing, shouting, screeching, drumming, marching and dancing. Hsuan Huang will participate in the performance on the violin.
Artist Talk
In dialogue with curator Marina Paulenka, Dudley will unveil the backstory and deeper meaning of WE WILL SLAM YOU WITH OUR WINGS. You will get to know her artistic journey, and how the idea for her video installation sparked during collaborations with William Kentridge at the Metropolitan Opera and the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. With behind-the-scenes footage, we’ll delve deeper into the creative process, offering glimpses into the making of the project. Finally you will hear directly from some of the girls and young women who contributed to and star in the installation, as they share their personal insights and aspirations around the impact of this collaborative work in video.
Joanna Dudley
Joanna’s journey as an artist started in Australia, moved through Indonesia and up into Japan, ending finally in Berlin. Much of her time has been spent creating performances with and without William Kentridge, in and out of Johannesburg and Berlin, and performing across the world.