{"id":11436,"date":"2009-07-09T15:05:29","date_gmt":"2009-07-09T18:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.idanca.net\/?p=11436"},"modified":"2009-07-23T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2009-07-23T15:56:46","slug":"diario-de-bordo2-prisma-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idanca.net\/diario-de-bordo2-prisma-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"Di\u00e1rio de bordo.2 – Prisma M\u00e9xico | Logbook.2 – Prisma Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monte Alban (foto 1) \u00e9 um importante s\u00edtio arqueol\u00f3gico localizado a cerca de 10 km de Oaxaca, no M\u00e9xico. Trata-se de uma das mais antigas cidades pr\u00e9-hisp\u00e2nicas, tendo sido capital dos Zapotecas e cujo apogeu se verificou entre os anos 500 a.C. e 800. Estima-se que a sua popula\u00e7\u00e3o tenha atingido os 35 mil habitantes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bem, fomos todos (umas 40 pessoas, entre artistas locais, artistas estrangeiros, equipe t\u00e9cnica do Prisma e amigos) ao Monte Alban. Estava um s\u00e1bado de sol forte e a altitude de Oaxaca fazia o sol parecer ainda mais forte. A cor da pele da maioria de n\u00f3s, as roupas, os \u00f3culos escuros, chap\u00e9us, o grupo caminhando junto, enfim, tudo dizia : n\u00e3o somos daqui.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c9 incomodo ser turista quando n\u00e3o se quer s\u00ea-lo. \u00c9 inc\u00f4modo se sentir invasor, me incomodar com minha pr\u00f3pria m\u00e1quina fotogr\u00e1fica, com o grupo que formo, com essas roupas, com o guia que nos explica com muito esfor\u00e7o num ingl\u00eas enrolado.<\/span><\/p>\n

Por que me incomodo tanto em ser estrangeira?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

O senhor mexicano que nos guiava contou coisas interessant\u00edssimas sobre aquele lugar, a hist\u00f3ria, as pessoas que l\u00e1 viveram, seus desenhos e leis, mostrou um campo de futebol, nos explicou porque eles chamam bola de “pelota” (porque era feita de pelos) e nos fez bater palmas ao mesmo tempo pra entendermos a incr\u00edvel ac\u00fastica daquele s\u00edtio t\u00e3o grande. As pessoas tiraram fotos, o grupo se dispersou, fiquei olhando a paisagem e conversando com uma portuguesa. Depois descemos juntos e algu\u00e9m me dizia que as coisas n\u00e3o s\u00e3o caras no M\u00e9xico se sua moeda \u00e9 o euro…<\/span><\/p>\n

Li no livro Os Nomes<\/em>, do escritor americano Don Delillo, como ser turista pode significar, tamb\u00e9m, “fugir de responsabilidades”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ele diz:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Os erros e os defeitos n\u00e3o se colam em n\u00f3s como em casa. Somos capazes de vaguear por continentes e l\u00ednguas, suspendendo a atividade do pensamento l\u00f3gico. O turismo \u00e9 a marcha da imbecilidade. Contam que sejamos imbecis. Todo o mecanismo do pa\u00eds hospedeiro est\u00e1 adaptado aos viajantes que se comportam de um modo imbecil. Andamos \u00e0s voltas, aturdidos, olhando de esguelha para mapas desdobrados. N\u00e3o sabemos falar com as pessoas, ir a lado nenhum, quanto vale o dinheiro, que horas s\u00e3o, o que comer ou como comer. Podemos continuar a viver nestas condi\u00e7\u00f5es durante semanas e meses, sem censuras nem consequ\u00eancias terr\u00edveis. Tal como a outros milhares, s\u00e3o-nos concedidas imunidades e amplas liberdades. Somos um ex\u00e9rcito de loucos, usando roupas de poliester de cores vivas, montando camelos, tirando fotografias uns aos outros, fatigados, desint\u00e9ricos, sedentos. N\u00e3o temos mais nada em que pensar sen\u00e3o no pr\u00f3ximo acontecimento informe.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Um dias antes desse passeio a Monte Alban, tivemos uma mesa de discuss\u00e3o chamada: Roots for the future, culture, tradition and translation<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Essa mesa foi diferente, n\u00e3o tivemos mesa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fizemos uma grande roda de cadeiras com um microfone em um pedestal no meio. A sugest\u00e3o da moderadora, Rani Nair (Su\u00e9cia), foi para que, quem quisesse, fosse ao microfone e fizesse uma pergunta relacionada ao tema da mesa, mas com uma condi\u00e7\u00e3o: apenas perguntas, sem responder \u00e0 pergunta de ningu\u00e9m, apenas questionamentos. Ficamos nesse tipo de conversa por muitos minutos, passamos por diversas quest\u00f5es, de diferentes graus de profundidade ou superficialidade, vindas de contextos bem discordantes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seguimos sempre procurando nossas ra\u00edzes?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

O M\u00e9xico esta na Am\u00e9rica do Norte? Porque, de fato, temos a sensa\u00e7\u00e3o de que o M\u00e9xico esta na Am\u00e9rica do Sul?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Norte, sul, leste, oeste: o quanto esses termos s\u00e3o sobre poder e domina\u00e7\u00e3o?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Como escrevi no texto da semana passada<\/a>, muitas conversas por aqui esbarram na quest\u00e3o da migra\u00e7\u00e3o, das fronteiras, de ser de um pa\u00eds ou de outro, das diferen\u00e7as e do poder econ\u00f4mico por detr\u00e1s delas. E n\u00e3o s\u00e3o quest\u00f5es que v\u00eam s\u00f3 dos mexicanos que est\u00e3o aqui, v\u00eam de n\u00f3s, “os estrangeiros”, porque estrangeiros nos sentimos todos…<\/span><\/p>\n

Sua cultura, n\u00e3o a minha?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Meu pa\u00eds, n\u00e3o o seu?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Quem se sente mais como “o outro” aqui? Os mexicanos ou os n\u00e3o-mexicanos?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Quem desaparece quando falamos em termos de “mexicanos” ou “n\u00e3o-mexicanos”?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

E sempre podemos, pra mudar o contexto dessa perguntas, subsitituir as palavras “mexicanos” por “brasileiros” ou “paulistanos” ou “paraibanos” ou “venezuelanos” ou “cl\u00e1ssicos” ou “contempor\u00e2neos” ou “n\u00e3o-artistas” ou “pobres” ou “ricos” ou “negros”.<\/span><\/p>\n

O quanto de ferramentas ou de armadilhas podemos ter quando separamos as coisas em categorias?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A fil\u00f3sofa b\u00falgara-francesa Julia Kristeva, em seu livro Estrangeiros<\/em> para n\u00f3s mesmos,<\/em> de 1994, escreve:<\/span><\/p>\n

“(…) estranhamente, o estrangeiro habita em n\u00f3s: ele \u00e9 a face oculta da nossa identidade, o espa\u00e7o que arru\u00edna a nossa morada, o tempo em que se afundam o entendimento e a simpatia. Por reconhec\u00ea-lo em n\u00f3s, poupamo-nos de ter que detest\u00e1-lo em si mesmo. Sintoma que torna o ‘n\u00f3s’ precisamente problem\u00e1tico, talvez imposs\u00edvel, o estrangeiro come\u00e7a quando surge a consci\u00eancia da minha diferen\u00e7a e termina quando nos reconhecemos todos estrangeiros, rebeldes aos v\u00ednculos e \u00e0s comunidades.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Sim, parece que, no fim das contas, estamos sempre falando “do outro” e do lugar de onde vem esse “outro”. E “o outro” somos todos n\u00f3s, queiramos ou n\u00e3o.<\/span><\/p>\n

Porque, quando olhamos de uma perspectiva de fora, achamos que temos um ponto de vista melhor do que as pessoas da cultura local?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Conceitos como nacionalismo e identidade podem chegar ao racismo?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Estamos abertos, curiosos, interessados, em outras culturas ou estamos apenas falando de n\u00f3s mesmos?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bem, como podem perceber, muitas das perguntas daquela mesa de debates seguiram ecoando em n\u00f3s nos almo\u00e7os, nos intervalos, e as deixei ecoarem aqui neste texto tamb\u00e9m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Os trabalhos em Oaxaca terminaram depois de uma semana. Tivemos coisas t\u00e3o plurais quanto:<\/span><\/p>\n

uma mesa sobre Artistas como artistas, artistas como curadores, artistas como institui\u00e7\u00f5es<\/em>, outra discuss\u00e3o sobre Aprendendo, pesquisando e transferindo conhecimento – modos de compartilhar e instigar quest\u00f5es<\/em> ou Arte como um agente social e pol\u00edtico de transforma\u00e7\u00e3o<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tivemos apresenta\u00e7\u00f5es de Tere O’Connor (USA), Xavier Le Roy (Fran\u00e7a), Jennifer Monson (USA) , Miguel Gutierrez (USA), J\u00e9r\u00f4me Bel (Fran\u00e7a)\/ Pichet Klunchun (Tail\u00e2ndia) e Thollem McDonas (USA) – Orquesta Libertad (Oaxaca).<\/span><\/p>\n

N\u00e3o pude assistir a todos os trabalhos, \u00e0s vezes estava apresentando, \u00e0s vezes em alguma mesa de debates e, muitas vezes, existem trabalhos ao mesmo tempo e temos que fazer escolhas, ou mesmo descansar de tanto movimento.<\/span><\/p>\n

O trabalho de J\u00e9r\u00f4me Bel e Pichet Klunchun, chamado Pichet Klunchun and myself<\/em> <\/strong>eu havia visto em Paris, na estreia l\u00e1, em janeiro de 2006. Algumas coisas mudaram desde ent\u00e3o, sobre o texto que eles falam, sobre como se posicionam na cena e tamb\u00e9m sobre a minha impress\u00e3o, na \u00e9poca da estreia, de que tinha uma grande parte de improviso naquilo tudo.<\/span><\/p>\n

N\u00e3o tem improviso e o trabalho amadureceu bastante nesses anos.<\/span><\/p>\n

E pra mim amadureceu a gravidade do trabalho, ou melhor dizendo, a gravidade da discuss\u00e3o que o trabalho prop\u00f5e sobre o que \u00e9 “natural” e o que \u00e9 “ex\u00f3tico”, sobre acessibilidade ou n\u00e3o \u00e0s dan\u00e7as de cada lugar, ou, melhor dizendo ainda,\u00a0 acessibilidade ou n\u00e3o aos s\u00edmbolos e valores de cada lugar ou pessoa, sobre o poder que se percebe impl\u00edcito em quem faz as peguntas ou em quem as responde, sobre ser turista ou ser local e sobre a procura de equival\u00eancia ou de identifica\u00e7\u00e3o em rela\u00e7\u00e3o ao outro…<\/span><\/p>\n

Todas essas s\u00e3o quest\u00f5es me pularam no colo enquanto assistia ao trabalho no Teatro Macedonio Alcal\u00e1, ao mesmo tempo em que eu percebia que dicotomias tais quais natural\/ex\u00f3tico<\/strong>, turista\/local<\/strong>, dan\u00e7a\/conceito<\/strong> realmente n\u00e3o nos d\u00e3o muito espa\u00e7o para as in\u00fameras outras possibilidades de articula\u00e7\u00e3o…<\/span><\/p>\n

O que fazemos com todas as coisas que s\u00e3o imposs\u00edveis de traduzir ou categorizar?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

O trabalho que fechou nossa semana em Oaxaca foi Comprovisation<\/em><\/strong>, de Thollem McDonas (USA) – Orquesta Libertad (Oaxaca). Thollem trabalhou toda a semana com jovens m\u00fasicos de Oaxaca, em suas pr\u00f3prias composi\u00e7\u00f5es, e montou um pequeno repert\u00f3rio de m\u00fasicas que iam de composi\u00e7\u00f5es mais m\u00e9lodicas, por assim dizer, e outras atonais. Tudo muito interessante de se ouvir daqueles jovens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formou-se um grande fila em frente ao Teatro Macedonio, bem maior do que nos outros dias. Eram os pais e parentes desses jovens.<\/span><\/p>\n

E quando o concerto terminou, o teatro cheio aplaudiu com muito entusiasmo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Fila<\/a>

Fila em frente ao Teatro Macedonio \/ Foto: Micheline Torres<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Domingo tivemos elei\u00e7\u00f5es aqui. S\u00e3o 77 milh\u00f5es de mexicanos\u00a0 votando para renovar a C\u00e2mara dos Deputados, al\u00e9m\u00a0 dos governadores de seis Estados, 549 prefeitos, 11 congressos locais, a Assembleia Legislativa do Distrito Federal e 16 Prefeituras de munic\u00edpios da capital. Neste dia fizemos de \u00f4nibus o trajeto Oaxaca-M\u00e9xico DF.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assim que chegamos \u00e0 Cidade do M\u00e9xico (DF) para a segunda semana do Prisma Forum, assistimos a um espet\u00e1culo da Compa\u00f1ia Nacional de Danza Folkl\u00f3rica, no Teatro de Danza. Depois fomos ao Museu de Antropologia, nas salas Maya e Mexicana, que foram abertas apenas para que n\u00f3s pudessemos ver um pouco da hist\u00f3ria daqui. Uma mexicana que olhava inscri\u00e7\u00f5es na rocha ao meu lado, no museu, disse que a cada vez que se constroi mais uma linha de metr\u00f4 aqui na cidade, mais hist\u00f3ria surge por baixo dessas terras.<\/span><\/p>\n

A semana come\u00e7ou intensa e com mais pessoas participando dos encontros. DF \u00e9 absurdamente maior que Oaxaca e passamos o dia inteiro no Centro Nacional de las Artes<\/a>, um complexo de pr\u00e9dios que abarca os\u00a0 centros de investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e difus\u00e3o de m\u00fasica, dan\u00e7a, artes pl\u00e1sticas, teatro, a escola nacional de pintura, de dan\u00e7a cl\u00e1ssica, de arte teatral, de m\u00fasica e de capacita\u00e7\u00e3o cinematogr\u00e1fica. Um lugar bastante grande. Essa semana, temos muitos bailarinos, m\u00fasicos, atores, investigadores, tanto de DF quanto de cidades vizinhas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ontem, no fim da tarde, eu e Mia Haugland Habib<\/a> (Noruega) t\u00ednhamos uma mesa de conversas a coordenar. Mia \u00e9 parceira de meu novo trabalho chamado Eu prometo, isto \u00e9 pol\u00edtico<\/em><\/strong>. Ela trabalhou comigo por um m\u00eas, em setembro passado, no Porto, em um grande encontro do Sweet & Tender. Na pesquisa desse novo trabalho, sigo passando per\u00edodos com parceiros de diferentes \u00e1reas e depois volto a trabalhar sozinha.<\/span><\/p>\n

T\u00ednhamos essa mesa e um tema “a inventar”. A princ\u00edpio pensamos em falar da nossa pesquisa juntas, mas sentimos que na conversa da manh\u00e3, sobre Arte e Ativismo<\/em>, ainda faltavam muitos pontos a discutir, pois foi uma conversa com muitas pessoas de trabalhos diversos e, muitas vezes, nesses grandes grupos de conversas, \u00e9 d\u00edficil encostar nos outros e ter uma troca mais estreita. Ent\u00e3o resolvemos que \u00edamos puxar um fio dessa conversa da manh\u00e3 e falamos para todos que seguir\u00edamos neste tema \u00e0 tarde, e que as pessoas que se interessassem estavam convidadas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ent\u00e3o, em nosso encontro, fomos sete pessoas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sentamos todos no palco, em volta da mesa e usamos um microfone, pois estava sendo filmado. E foi uma conversa muito interessante, pr\u00f3xima, uma discuss\u00e3o que correu entre as sete pessoas, a partir de suas experi\u00eancias e quest\u00f5es, somando diferen\u00e7as e afinidades. Neste grupo t\u00ednhamos uma pessoa que n\u00e3o falava ingl\u00eas e uma pessoa que n\u00e3o falava espanhol, ent\u00e3o isso nos fazia ter que esperar, a cada fala, a tradu\u00e7\u00e3o de um dos participantes que, gentilmente, fazia este trabalho para todos. Foi curioso pois, ao necessitar desse tempo de espera at\u00e9 que o outro (em ingl\u00eas ou em espanhol) captasse o que cada um falava, trazia para n\u00f3s uma paci\u00eancia com o outro, com o tempo e o entendimento do outro, e n\u00e3o atrapalhou em nada a mesa, pelo contr\u00e1rio, nos fez mais pr\u00f3ximos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trago um tom de romantismo nisso?<\/span><\/p>\n

Talvez, mas falo deste ponto em esp\u00e9cifico porque quero falar, tamb\u00e9m, das diversas naturezas de encontros que tivemos e ainda teremos aqui, sobretudo nessa cidade t\u00e3o grande como \u00e9 DF. Tem lugar pra muitas diferen\u00e7as aqui e, \u00e0s vezes, n\u00e3o tem lugar tamb\u00e9m. Ent\u00e3o se tem mesmo que abrir terreno usando algum fac\u00e3o.<\/span><\/p>\n

A semana segue, ontem \u00e0 noite tivemos uma apresenta\u00e7\u00e3o de David Zambrano (Venezuela\/Holanda) e outra de Keith Hennesy (Canad\u00e1\/USA).<\/span><\/p>\n

Essa semana pela manh\u00e3 farei aulas de chi kun, com Laura Casas (M\u00e9xico) e os semin\u00e1rios \u00e0 tarde. Na ter\u00e7a-feira aconteceu um semin\u00e1rio chamado Al sur y al norte desde este lado: Coreografia Latino-Americana<\/em>, com Javier Contreras (M\u00e9xico) e Lourdes Fern\u00e1ndez (M\u00e9xico).<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, essa semana misturei os zapotecas com “ser estrangeiro”, com os jovens m\u00fasicos de Oaxaca, com as perguntas de um semin\u00e1rio, com uma mesa de conversa de sete pessoas, com a sala Maya do Museu de Antropologia, com pagar as coisas em pesos mexicanos, tendo como dinheiro de origem euros e com m\u00e1quinas fotogr\u00e1ficas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Me sinto o Tom Z\u00e9<\/a> (quem me dera…) fazendo um arrast\u00e3o de refer\u00eancias e ideias…<\/span><\/p>\n

Mas \u00e9 isso mesmo agora.<\/span><\/p>\n

Espero jogar sementes para que voc\u00eas peguem da\u00ed, das muitas que catei aqui nesses dias.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS. Mutchas gracias pelos emails e pelos coment\u00e1rios aqui no idan\u00e7a<\/strong>, isso torna a minha escrita do lado de c\u00e1 mais gorda e eu com mais “ganas”.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS 2. N\u00e3o, n\u00e3o, as pessoas n\u00e3o est\u00e3o usando m\u00e1scaras aqui nas ruas e no dia-a-dia. Segue a vida normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS3. L\u00e1 naquela mesa de conversas, onde s\u00f3 se faziam perguntas, algu\u00e9m pegou o microfone e perguntou: O que pensa voc\u00ea, de bon\u00e9 verde, dessas pessoas que passaram aqui uma semana?<\/span><\/p>\n

A pessoa de bon\u00e9 verde era um funcion\u00e1rio da casa onde trabalh\u00e1vamos todos os dias e que, antes, estava varrendo, mas havia parado para ver aquela roda de perguntas. Esse senhor s\u00f3 riu envergonhado e n\u00e3o respondeu. Procurei ele depois pra saber a opini\u00e3o dele, mas n\u00e3o encontrei.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leia tamb\u00e9m: Di\u00e1rio de bordo.3 – Prisma Mexico<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Di\u00e1rio de bordo.4 – Prisma Mexico<\/a><\/p>\n

Monte Alban (photo 1) is an important archeological site located about 10km from Oaxaca, Mexico. It is one of the most ancient pre-Hispanic cities, the capital of the Zapotecs, whose peak took place between 500 b.c. and 800. Its population is estimated to have reached 35.000 inhabitants.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, we all (about 40 people, local artists, foreign artists, Prisma technical crew and friends) went to Monte Alban. It was a very sunny Saturday and the altitude made the sun feel even stronger. The skin color of most of us, the clothes, the sunglasses, hats, the group walking together, everything screamed: we are not from here.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u00b4s uncomfortable being a tourist when you don\u00b4t want to be one. It\u00b4s uncomfortable to feel like an invader, to feel bothered by my own camera, by with the group I\u00b4m a part of, by these clothes, by the guide struggling to explain everything in macaronic English.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why does being a foreigner bother me so much?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Mexican man who was guiding us told us some very interesting things about that place, the history, the people who lived there, their drawings and laws, he showed us a soccer field, he explained why they call the ball “pelota” (because they were made of animal hair, “pelo” in Spanish) and he made us clap our hands at the same time, so we could understand the amazing acoustic in that huge site. People took pictures, the group scattered around, I kept looking to the landscape and talking to a Portuguese lady. Afterwards we came down together and someone was telling me that things weren\u00b4t so expensive in Mexico if the Euro is your currency…<\/span><\/p>\n

I read in Dom DeLillo’s book The Names<\/em> that being a tourist may also mean to “escape accountability”.<\/span><\/p>\n

He says:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Errors and failings don’t cling to you the way they do back home. You’re able to drift across continents and languages, suspending the operation of sound thought. Tourism is the march of stupidity. You’re expected to be stupid. The entire mechanism of the host country is geared to travelers acting stupidly. You walk around dazed, squinting into fold-out maps. You don’t know how to talk to people, how to get anywhere, what the money means, what time it is, what to eat or how to eat it. Being stupid is the pattern, the level and the norm. You can exist on this level for weeks and months without reprimand or dire consequence. Together with thousands, you are granted immunities and broad freedoms. You are an army of fools, wearing bright polyesters, riding camels, taking pictures of each other, haggard, dysenteric, thirsty. There is nothing to think about but the next shapeless event.”<\/span><\/p>\n

A day before this field trip to Monte Alban, we had a roundtable called: Roots for the future, culture, tradition and translation.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This roundtable was different, there was no table.<\/span><\/p>\n

We formed a large circle with chairs and a microphone in a pedestal right in the middle. The moderator was Rani Nair (Sweden) and her suggestion was that whoever wished to could ask a question related to the table’s theme, but there was one condition: only questions, no answers to anybody’s questions, only questions. We were in that conversation for many minutes, we went through many different issues, of different levels of depth or superficiality, coming from very diverse contexts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are we forever seeking our roots?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Is Mexico in North America? Why do we have the feeling that Mexico is, in fact, in South America?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

North, south, east, west: how much of these words are about power and domination?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As I wrote last week<\/a>, many conversations around here touch upon issues of migration, frontiers, being from a country or another, the differences and economical power behind them. And these are questions that come not only from the Mexican that are here, they come from all of us, “the foreigners”, because we all feel foreign…<\/span><\/p>\n

Your culture, not mine?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My country, not yours?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Who feels more like “the other” here? The Mexicans or the non-Mexicans?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Who disappears when we talk about “Mexicans” or “non-Mexicans”?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And, to change the context of these questions, we can always replace the words “Mexican” for “Brazilian” or “Paulistanos” or “Paraibanos” or “Venezuelan” or “classic” or “contemporary” or “non-artists” or “poor” or “rich” or “black”.<\/span><\/p>\n

How many tools or traps can we have when we separate things in categories?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

French-Bulgarian philosopher Julia Kristeva wrote on her book Strangers to Ourselves<\/em>:<\/span><\/p>\n

“(…)Strangely, the foreigner lives within us: he is the hidden force of our identity, the space that wrecks our abode, the time in which understanding and affinity founder. By recognizing him within ourselves, we are spared detesting him in himself. A symptom that precisely turns “we” into a problem, perhaps makes it impossible. The foreigner comes in when the consciousness of my difference arises, and he disappears when we all acknowledge ourselves as foreigners, anamenable to bonds and communities.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, after all, it seems that we are always talking about “the other” and the place this “other” comes from. And “the other” is all of us, whether we like it or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we look from an outside perspective, why do we think we have a better point of view than the people from the local culture?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Concepts like nationalism and identity can add up to racism?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Are we open, curious, interested, in other cultures or are we just talking about ourselves? <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Well, as you can see, many of the issues in that roundtable kept echoing within us in lunches, breaks, and I let them echo in this text too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The works here in Oaxaca finished after 1 week. We had such plural things as a roundtable about Artists as artists, artists as curators, artists as institutions<\/em>, another debate about Learning, researching and transferring knowledge – ways of sharing and instigating questions<\/em> and Art as social and political agent of transformation<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We had shows by Tere O’Connor (USA), Xavier Le Roy (France), Jennifer Monson (USA), Miguel Gutierrez (USA), J\u00e9r\u00f4me Bel (France)\/Pichet Klunchun (Thailand) and Thollem McDonas (USA) – Orquesta Libertad (Oaxaca).<\/span><\/p>\n

I couldn\u00b4t see all the works, sometimes I was performing, sometimes I was participating in roundtables and, many times, there are things happening at the same time and we have to make choices or even rest a little from so much movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had seen the work of Jerome Bel and Pichet Kluchun called Pichet Klunchun and myself<\/em><\/strong>, in Paris, in the premiere, in January 2006. Some things changed since then, about the text they speak, about the way they position themselves on stage and also about the impression I had at the time of the premiere that there was a lot of improvisation in all of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u00b4s no improvisation and the work matured a lot over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

And for me, the gravity of the work matured, I mean, the gravity of the debate the work proposes about what is “natural” and what is “exotic”, about having access or not to dances from each place, or better yet, about having access or not to the symbols and values of each place or person, about the implicit power held by those who ask the questions and who answer them, about being a tourist or a local and about the search for equivalence or identification regarding the other…<\/span><\/p>\n

These are all questions that fell on my lap while I was watching the piece at Teatro Macedonio Alcal\u00e1, at the same time I realized that dichotomies such as natural\/exotic, tourist\/local, dance\/concept<\/strong> really do not leave us much room for countless other articulation possibilities…<\/span><\/p>\n

What do we do with all those things that are impossible to translate or to categorize? <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The work that closed the week in Oaxaca was Comprovisation, <\/strong>by Thollem McDonas (USA) – Orquesta Libertad (OAXACA). Thollem worked the whole week with young musicians from Oaxaca, in their own compositions, and assembled a small repertory of songs ranging from more melodic compositions, so to speak, and other atonal ones. All very interesting to hear from those kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

A big line gathered in front of Teatro Macedonio, a lot bigger than ones in other days. They were the parents and relatives of those kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

And when the concert was over, the crowded theater applauded very enthusiastically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Fila<\/a>

Fila em frente ao Teatro Macedonio \/ Foto: Micheline Torres<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On Sunday there were elections here. 77 million Mexicans voting to renew the Chamber of Deputies, besides electing the governors of six states, 549 mayors, 11 local congress, the Federal District Legislative Assembly and 16 City Halls for cities of the Federal District. On that day we took the bus from Oaxaca to Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as we reached Mexico City D.C. for the second week of Prisma Forum, we watched a show of Compa\u00f1ia Nacional de Danza Folkl\u00f3rica, at Teatro de Danza. Afterwards we went to the Anthropology Museum, in the Mayan and Mexican rooms, which were open just so we could learn a little of the history. A Mexican woman who was looking at inscriptions in a rock next to me in the museum told me that every time a new subway line is built in the city, more history surfaces from under the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The week started intensely and with more people participating in the meetings. DF is absurdly bigger than Oaxaca and we spent the entire next day at Centro Nacional de las Artes<\/a>, a building complex that holds the centers for investigation and propagation of music, dance, plastic arts, theater, the national for painting school, classic dance, theater and cinema training. A very large place. This week we had many dancer, musicians, actors, researchers, from DF and neighboring cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday, in the end of the afternoon, me and Mia Haugland Habib<\/a> (Norway) had a roundtable to coordinate. Mia is my partner in my new piece called EU PROMETO, ISTO \u00c9 POL\u00cdTICO<\/em><\/strong> (“I promisse, this is political). She worked with me for a month, last September, in Porto, in a big Sweet and Tender http:\/\/www.sweetandtender.org\/wiki\/index.php?title=Mia_Haugland_Habib meeting. For the research for this new piece I keep spending some periods of time with partners from different areas and then later I go back to working alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

We had this roundtable to “come up with”. At first we thought about speaking about our research together, but we felt that there were still some points left to discuss from the debate that took place in the morning about Art and Activism<\/em>, because it was a debate with people from many different works, and many times in these big group talks, it\u00b4s hard get near someone and have a closer exchange. So we decided we were going to pick up a thread of this morning’s conversation, we told everyone we were going to keep on this subject in the afternoon and that all those who were interested were invited.<\/span><\/p>\n

So there were 7 people in our debate.<\/span><\/p>\n

We all set on stage around a table and we used a microphone because it was being filmed. And it was a very interesting conversation, close, a debate that took place among the 7 people, taking from their experiences and issues, adding up differences and affinities. In this group we had one person who didn\u00b4t speak English and one person who didn\u00b4t speak Spanish, so this made us wait, at each sentence, the translation from one of the participants who kindly did this job for all of us. It was funny, there was this time we had to wait until one understood what the other was speaking (in English or in Spanish) and it brought us patience with the other, with the timing and understanding of the other, it didn\u00b4t disturb the roundtable at all, quite contrary, it got us closer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do I bring some romanticism into all this?<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe, but I speak of this specific point because I also want to speak about the different kinds of meeting we had and will have here, above all in a city as big as DF. There\u00b4s place for a lot of difference here and sometimes, there\u00b4s also no place. So some ground must be open with a machete.<\/span><\/p>\n

The week continues, Monday night we had shows of David Zambrano (Venezuela\/Netherlands) and Keith Hennesy (Canada\/USA).<\/span><\/p>\n

This week in the morning I\u00b4ll have chi kun classes with Laura Casas (Mexico) and seminars in the afternoon. This Tuesday we had a seminar called Al sur y al norte desde este lado: Coreografia Latino-Americana<\/em> (“To the North and to the South from this side: Latin American Choreography”), with Javier Contreras (Mexico) and Lourdes Fern\u00e1ndez (Mexico).<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, this week I mixed the zapotecs with “being a foreigner”, with young musicians from Oaxaca, with the questions of a seminar, with a roundtable with 7 people, with the Mayan room in the Antropology Museum, with paying things in Mexican pesos having euro as original currency and with photographic cameras.<\/span><\/p>\n

I feel like Tom Z\u00e9<\/a>. (I wish…) making a torrent of references and ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u00b4s like that now.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope I can throw seeds so you can catch them there, out of the many I gathered here during these days.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS Mutchas gracias for the emails and comments here at idan\u00e7a, they make my writing here richer and gives me “ganas”.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS 2 No, no, people are not wearing masks in the middle of the day here on the streets. Life goes on normally.<\/span><\/p>\n

PS 3 In that roundtable in which only questions were made someone grabbed the microphone and asked: What do you, with the green hat, think about all these people that spent the week here?<\/span><\/p>\n

The person with the green hat was a worker of the house where we worked every day and earlier he was sweeping the floor, but stopped to see that circle of questions. This man only smiled embarrassed and didn\u00b4t answer. I looked for him later to find out his opinion but I didn\u00b4t find him.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Em seu segundo relato de viagem, Micheline Torres conta aos leitores do idan\u00e7a sobre suas experi\u00eancias e estranhamentos como turista e fala da chegada do Prisma \u00e0 Cidade do M\u00e9xico. Confira!<\/span>
\nIn her second travel report, Micheline Torres tells idan\u00e7a readers about her experiences and surprises as a tourist and talks about the arrival of Prisma at Mexico City. 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