Presented at: Biennal di Monza, Monza (IT), 2020
Publication: European South Journal (06/2020), Anticolonialismo e Postcolonialismo nelle Arti Visive: prospettive italiane, Dipartimento degli studi linguistici e letterari dell’Università di Padova, a cura di Francesca Gallo, 2020
In the film Les Maîtres Fous (1955), Jean Rouch shows how the psychological disorders caused by colonial violence are overcome and resolved by the Hauka sect through an adaptation of tribal religion to the new situation. By maintaining the traditional possession rites characteristic of their magico-religious practices, the Hauka allowed themselves to be possessed by the spirit of the governor, the railway engineer, and so on. Drawing on this episode, the work Perseverance Conquers Difficulties seeks to prompt reflections that move beyond the mere contemplation of the historical document and instead emphasize the balancing function of the scandalous and bloody Hauka ritual. With a subtly ironic tone, the performance invites the audience to listen to a guided meditation track, instilling doubt about the nature and effectiveness of Western-style meditative practices.