Alminal. Cuerpo, Voz y Memoria.
La actuación colaborativa ‘Alminal. Cuerpo, Voz y Memoria‘ tuvo lugar el domingo 24 de noviembre 2024 y desplegado como un ritual de la naturaleza, creando un triángulo imaginario con cada vértice ocupado por los tres artistas – Antonia Ripoll, Gemma Ginovart y Sarah Misselbrook – vestido con un mono blanco, vestimenta comúnmente utilizada en medicina, trabajo ganadero, y arte. Al lado de cada uno de ellos se encontraban elementos naturales que simbolizaban el conocimiento intangible y la sabiduría de la tierra..
Antònia was seated, crushing grapes with her feet. Gemma worked with a large pile of soil, while Sarah handled a mound of charcoal, both grinding their materials into powder.
As the performance progressed, several DAR artists and women from the audience joined the scene. They were dressed to represent various female stereotypes, showcasing the diversity of womanhood. Among these were the bride, the seductress, the mother, the professional, the astronaut, the lumberjack, the flamenco dancer, the punk, the healer, the pubilla (a Catalan tradition), the nurse, and the nun. Some women appeared in their usual clothing, expressing their personalities or a role they identified with.
The DAR artists led the group, dragging a hopper that they placed at the center of the triangle. This object, commonly associated with the industrialization of livestock farming, symbolised rural areas and sparked a reflection on the mass exploitation of natural resources and the complex relationship between knowledge, progress, and regression.
Each artist continued working with their natural material, creating enough powder or liquid—grape juice, soil powder, and charcoal powder – to fill buckets. Some of the women carried these filled buckets to the hopper and poured the materials inside. This phase lasted approximately 15 minutes and culminated in an alchemical transformation.
One by one, the artists approached the hopper, and one of them opened the tap. Red liquid flowed slowly, symbolising transformation, blood, passion, and sacrifice. Blood, traditionally used to mark and sign works of art, was presented as a natural pigment contrasting with the white monochromatic attire. The artists used this liquid to stain their bodies, treating themselves as canvases and records of the ritual. They also symbolically fed on the liquid, representing the transmission of their own knowledge.
Each artist engaged uniquely with the red liquid – covering their face or body, drinking it, imprinting it on their skin, and more. After their personal interactions, the artists marked each other with the liquid, one by one.
Once all were marked, they returned to their original positions.
Throughout the performance, the artists emitted words, silences, and recorded sounds. The use of voice became central, playing with distance, volumen, and intensity. Softly recorded murmurs played in the background, creating an intimate and unsettling atmosphere. These murmurs represented collective or internalised thoughts, secrets, and the inner voices of women.
The performance created a dialogue that underscored the importance of expression for women who, silenced throughout history, need to hear their own inner voice – a voice symbolically tinged with the red of menstruation, emphasizing the connection between the uterus and the throat.
