WEB SITE Résistance féminine / Resistencia Femenina / Women’s resistance
« Impact » for piano and cooking pots, from 14 world around composers
« Vendajes » (the rapist was…is…are…) » from Valeria Valle
By Maria-Paz Santibanez, pianist.
Women’s resistance is a project to create works born out of resistance and out of respect for human rights and the dignity of people.
At the core of the project are works that include performative scenic elements with the potential of being displayed in concert. Glyslein Lefever will take the direction of performative concerts. The projection of images is an integral part of the projet in concert, it’s in charge of visuel and audiovisual artist Lorena Zilleruelo.
María-Paz Santibanez, a Chilean pianist living in Paris, is a interpreter who brings together in this project the paths of her life and career: she is a woman, she defends contemporary creation and throughout her life has engaged in the defence and promotion of human rights.
This project brings together works by composers (women and men) who offered their works out of commitment and respect for people’s rights. First inspirations where done by Chilean people in demonstrations with pots. This project was completed in the times of COVID, when in so many countries culture was discarded as « essential » and when the whole world saw the inequities and precariousness in which we all live.
In times of COVID, little by little reopening the halls, theatres, and ears, creating, believing… is making creation and resistance resonate.
Creations in Women’s Resistance
The first work in this project is the suite “Impact (your eyes, your rights)” for piano and pots (see two videos and more), commissioned by the pianist Maria-Paz Santibanez, with a first pre-premiere in Paris at the Chatelet Theatre. This work was originally dedicated to the mutilated eyes of Chile since the revolt began at the end of 2019. The uprising has continued, the COVID pandemic has exposed precariousness and today this suite is dedicated to all those who seek to raise their voices to defend human rights and the dignity of individuals and peoples.
Currently the work is composed of 7 parts out of 14. The suite is organised around premieres according to the dates on which it is scheduled and does not need to be finished; each composer will join according to their availability and will make the work and the resistance grow.
The second work of the project was also commissioned by María-Paz Santibanez. «Vendajes (The rapist is … you are … you were …”, by Valeria Valle. (More about Valeria here). This work invites performance on stage, in defence of women’s rights and against institutional patriarchy. At the boiling point of the Chilean protest at the end of 2019, the complaint against the institutional patriarchy was born. The work of the collective “Las Tesis”, also Chilean, went viral making a worldwide echo of the performance ”Un violador en tu camino”.
Performance? Images?
The projection of images resulting from the creative sensibility of Lorena Zilleruelo make a dialogue with the music not seeking to illustrate, but to elaborate video material taken in the streets, in villages. The video enters the piano and sometimes projects live what is happening inside or around the vibrating instrument.
Glyslein Lefever directs the staging and the performance from the installation of a saucepan between the strings, the intervention of spoons between the piano strings, the use of saucepans as drums next to the piano , the entrance on stage by tapping on a saucepan, the setback made by the pianist between piano, saucepans, the declamation of testimonies of victims or Mapuche poetry (people originating from the south of the world) or the spatial intervention of electronics – and still many other effects of pieces being composed – Each of these elements make each moment of the work a performative moment in itself.
Regarding the score of “The rapist is … you are … you were …” the invitation of the composer is to make a specific address to the performance of Las Tesis “El violador eres tu”, vocally and / or on stage in concert . This performatic possibility is integrated into the work.
A women’s Resistance concert includes projection of images integrating music, image, performance.
Concert formats
Part of the program offers a repertoire related to resistance and contemporary creation, another is devoted to the art of the « classic » repertory evoking landscapes, movement, poetry or rebellion, this from the inspiration linked to the repertoire of predilection of the pianist and creator who is at its origin.
Concerts are adapted to be done in fully-equipped concert halls or in little spaces with less equipes.
A debate around the concert, between academics, creators, and local actors from the area of culture, “music and resistance” – or a similar one – will always be welcome, according to relevance.
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Supporters : Fin producciones, Psinet. Also: Santiago Off; Gam; Espacio Checoeslovaquia; Universidad Academia de humanismo cristiano; Las Tesis; Les Frigos, Paris; France Chili-Aquitaine; Université de Bordeaux-Montaigne, France; Musée Bochum, Allemagne; Latinart Allemagne; Teatro de San Javier; Municipalidad de Valparaíso; Municipalidad de Castro; Universidad de Chile; Teatro del Bio-bio
Maria Paz Santibañez 