Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo's Performance at FOROF Challenges Patriarchy and Colonial Archives
Cuban artist Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo, born in Havana in 1984, showcased "Abriendo pasos/Opening paths" at FOROF in Rome, part of the exhibition FOROF Essenza | Episodio 1, curated by Veronica Siciliani Fendi. This performance employs clay as a metaphor for the quest for freedom. The ongoing exhibition "No necesitamos muros/We don't need walls" will continue until May 28 and includes performance documentation, watercolors, a preparatory sculpture, and artworks such as "Historias Negras" (2022), "Resistencia" (2019), and "El Tanque" (2015-16). FOROF is located on the site of the Basilica Ulpia excavations, where Roman slaves found paths to freedom. Delahante Matienzo’s feminist approach reflects her matriarchal heritage, and her video "El Tanque" critiques hair straightening practices, representing decolonization, influenced by Ana Mendieta.
Key facts
- Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo performed 'Abriendo pasos' at FOROF in Rome.
- The performance uses clay to create barriers symbolizing the struggle for freedom.
- Exhibition 'No necesitamos muros/We don't need walls' runs until May 28 at FOROF.
- FOROF is built on the Basilica Ulpia, a site of Roman slave manumission.
- The work 'Lo que contaba la abuela' (2017) features lightboxes of the artist's matriarchal family.
- The artist found colonial archives in Matanzas listed ancestors only as numbers.
- Video 'El Tanque' (2015-16) shows hair straightening ritual and immersion in water.
- Delahante Matienzo organized a Yoruba ritual for Ana Mendieta after seeing her retrospective.
Entities
Artists
- Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo
- Ana Mendieta
- Veronica Siciliani Fendi
- Manuela De Leonardis
Institutions
- FOROF
- Artribune
- Museum der Moderne Salzburg
- Biennale d'Arte dell'Avana
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Havana
- Cuba
- Matanzas
- Salzburg
- Austria
- Canton
- China