Relay (extended), 2023

Rita Alves, Vladimir Babinchuk, Isabella Daffara, Natacha Hufkens, Amine Mazhoud, Sainabou Johm, Mary Szydlowska and Amber Vanluffelen

In a long performance lasting several hours, a group of performers hold a black flag in the air. A symbol of protest, the constant motion of the flag in the wind is a fascinating test of endurance. Each performer keeps the flag moving individually but above all, it is the joint effort that makes Relay so powerful. Waving a flag can start with one individual. Keeping it moving is, for the artist, a collective responsibility. In this extended version of the performance nine performers partner with the wind to keep three flags afloat.

The artwork is inspired by the many recent protests across the world and in particular the ‘Czarny Protest’ (Black protest) in Poland, the mass march for women’s rights. But the black flag is not linked to just one battle. It is a powerful symbol for many different situations against which people are protesting.

Ula Sickle wonders which forms of protest and opposition today are still possible in the neo-liberal society in which the care state seems exhausted and structural racism and the climate crisis are ever more apparent. Waving a flag can start with a single individual. Keeping it moving is, for the artist, a collective responsibility.

Number 32 on the map.