‘Poetics of Colour nu.1’ is an art intervention by Jatun Risba inspired by an ongoing research about the Atlantic Slave Trade History and Vodou & Winti rituals connected to the region of Zeeland, NL. The track in the video is a poetic interpretation of selected folksongs written in Surinamese Creole language with English translation taken from the (1975) book "Creole drum. An Anthology of Creole Literature in Surinam" by Jan Voorhoeve & Ursy M. Lichtveld. The use of the blood and costume are inspired by Vodou religion. However, the artist detours the common associations and practices in Vodou rituals by staging a queer, androgynous version of the male Loa Baron Samedi, the stylish and sophisticated Spirit of the Dead and probably the most infamously famous character in the Vodou pantheon. The blood used in the action is artist's personal, non-violently harvested menstrual blood, the "blood of life". In this way, ‘Poetics of Colour nu.1’ offers a juxtaposition to the practice of animal sacrifice in Haitian Vodou ceremonies that functions also as a commentary and response to the contemporary conflict in Ukraine. Premiere screening at the exhibition Leeuwenpoort artists at CBK Zeeland, Middelburg, Netherlands. (Source: Jatun Risba)
Production: Jatun Risba & Franco G. Livera, 2019
Down-going was taken during a collaborative art intervention at an operating hospital in S Italy in summer 2019. The produced photos and video stage a playful act of medical self-determination and resilience. By taking control over the use of medical spac...
Production: Jatun Risba & Franco G. Livera, 2019
A body wrapped in plastic … to retain moisture and preserve freshness. The plastic foil is perforated by medical tools. A body transformed into a Christmas tree decorated with surgical instruments. What does this piece of body celebrate? What has b...