SYNOPSIS
What is an Origin? The indigenous cries have always called for social and environmental justice, maintaining an univocal relationship with nature. Today, in places like Alto de Xingu (Mato Grosso-Brazil), the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant threatens the Juruna and Kaiapós indigenous tribes and wreacks havoc on the region's ecosystem. In creation myths, the primordial cry gives rise to the world. The situation we find ourselves in today challenges us to listen to the voices of the forest, of indigenous women and, indeed, of hybrid beings - half human, half animal - entities that are part of the Juruna cosmology. For them, listening is an act of sensitivity, of restoration and transformation. "Hear-them" is a video-performance inspired by the sound work "No Soy Blanca" ("I am not White") by Malu Hatoum in partnership with Roderick Steel. The performance reveals three hybrid beings and a reiver-being who pass through a city to alert people and reconnect with each other through transradiation, nature and assorted technological devices. These are half-human, half-animal, half-tech hybrid beings that bridge the world between cries, screams and the sounds of nature.
SINOPSE
O que é uma Origem? Um Grito? Um Ato de Escuta? Hoje, os gritos indígenas conclamam por justiça social e ambiental em lugares como o Alto de Xingu onde a Usina Hidreléltrica de Belo Monte criou danos irreparaveis ao meio ambiente. Nos mitos de criação o grito primordial da origem ao mundo. O desafio hoje é de ouvir esses gritos e fazer dessa escuta um ato de sensibilidade, de reparaçao e transformação."Ouvi-las" é uma vídeo-performance inspirada na obra sonora "No Soy Blanca" de Malu Hatoum em parceira com Roderick Steel.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
In October 2021 Luiza Hatoum called me and sent me a 25 minute soundscape that she had developed as part of her Master’s degree in Spain. She told me on the call that she had been contacted by the secretary of culture in the small town of Garça, about 5 hours west of São Paulo, where she grew up, who told there were a few thousand brazilian reais left in the annual budget that she could do what she wanted with. The only condition was that she had to deliver an artistic product of some sort within 3 weeks.
She contacted me in search of ideas, and asked me if I thought we could make a short 5 or 6 minute video using a crown she had printed in 3D made by mixing phosphor (zinc sulphide, stronium aluminate) with plastic. She assured me that the phosphor, when charged by holding it close to a light bulb, would glow enough to be captured on video. I had watched my daughter, the previous summer, decorate her study with cotton wool and led lights to make glowing clouds, and this had planted a seed in me to make illuminated costumes with cotton wool and led lights, I immediately asked Luiza if she would be prepared to set aside the better part of the almost non-existant production budget to buy assorted lights and materials to make glowing clothes. I had used lights in a previous performance, called “revelation”, and Luiza had actually worn one of the costumes I made, so it seemed natural to continue to experiment with lights, especially as the new led technology had made brighter battery-powered lights available.
On listening to Luiza’s soundscape I was immediately struck by the odd animal sounds at the beginning of the piece. Luiza said the sounds were made by “hybrid beings”. Brazilian anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro's concept of "perspectivism," which he developed based on his fieldwork with indigenous groups in the Amazon, challenges Western notions of nature and culture, suggesting that different beings, whether human or non-human, perceive the world from distinct ontological perspectives. Regarding hybrid spirits, Viveiros de Castro's work often explores the idea that in indigenous cosmologies, beings can undergo transformations and possess multiple forms simultaneously. He argues that the boundaries between species, humans, and spirits are fluid, and certain entities can embody a multiplicity of forms. This perspective challenges the Western dichotomy between nature and culture, human and non-human, suggesting a more complex and interconnected understanding of the world.
The Xingu Indigenous Park, located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, is home to several indigenous tribes, each with its own unique cultural beliefs and mythology. In the Xingu region, there are various hybrid spirits and animals in the mythology of different indigenous groups. Here are a few examples:Jurupari is associated with initiation rituals and is often depicted as a masked figure with both human and animal characteristics; In the mythology of the Waurá people, the Kawoká is a supernatural being associated with the creation of the world and the transformation of humans; In Waurá mythology, the Yãmiyhex is a supernatural being that is part-human and part-jaguar. This hybrid creature is believed to possess great strength and is associated with shamanic practices and transformation. In Yanomami shamanic practices, individuals may undergo transformations during rituals. Shamans, known as "hekuras" or "xapiripë," are believed to possess the ability to transform into animals or spirits to communicate with the spiritual realm.
In Brazilian indigenous cultures, including among the Yanomami and Xingu tribes, the perception and interpretation of light by shamans often hold symbolic and spiritual significance. While specific beliefs and practices can vary among different indigenous groups, here are some general examples of how light may be perceived by shamans in these cultures: Shamans in Yanomami and Xingu cultures may undergo visionary experiences during rituals or trance states. In these altered states of consciousness, they may perceive luminous or radiant phenomena that they interpret as manifestations of spiritual energy or the presence of otherworldly beings. Light may be seen as a symbol of spiritual enlightenment, guidance, or transformation.
The soundscape ends with a recording of indigenous chanting, which, according to Luiza, was inspired by a will to turn time back in on itself: a chant to magically make the Belo Monte Dam disappear. The construction of the dam resulted in the displacement of numerous indigenous and local communities, including members of the Xingu tribe. The dam flooded a significant area of land, leading to the loss of traditional territories, homes, and sacred sites for these communities. Changes in the river flow and water quality resulting from the dam's construction have affected the availability of fish, a primary food source for many indigenous communities. The decline in fish populations has a direct impact on the nutritional and economic well-being of the Xingu tribe and other local populations. Furthermore, The Belo Monte Dam has caused cultural disruption and social tensions within indigenous communities. The forced relocation and loss of traditional lands can lead to the erosion of cultural practices, social structures, and community cohesion.
Fortunately there was an easy to access electrical power distribution station in Garça that we could easily use as a surrogate location for the Belo Monte Dam. I made a glowing “wearable-river”, that folded over Luiza’s body as she walked, and could alternatively be extended out in front of her. I drew inspiration for this from the “aparaká” spirits in Brazil’s egunun cult, which have inspired a lot of my costumes. I also weaved a head-net made with blue fairy lights , inspired by the African-Brazilian deity Iemanjá.
The construction of the Belo Monte Dam had been met with protests and opposition from various groups, including indigenous communities such as the Xingu tribe, environmental activists, and human rights organizations. One of the unusual features of life in small towns in Brazil are cars or trucks with public address system and loudspeakers typically used to play recorded messages at high volume to the public while driving through residential areas. They are used in many countries by groups to disseminate political messages, such as by candidates during election campaigns and in some countries for commercial advertising and promotion.
By the time I arrived in Garça all the lights had been delivered to Luiza’s house and I started to assemble the illuminated costumes. I then suggested to Luiza we rent such a car, with loudspeakers, and this led to the idea of her using a megaphone, much like activists do during rallies. It was clear that her helmet was never going to glow in the dark, so I wrapped green plastic led tube lights around it and then made a wire structure with two speakers Luiza had brought that served as a breast-plate. Her transformation was complete, and could thus embody her soundscape as a political artivist and performer.
