La Erreria (House of Bent) is organizing a series of workshops on representations of resistance and queer identity in visual arts and literature, with the aim of creating a collective publication in the form of a queerzine.
Thursday 18 April 6-9 pm with Piro Subrat and Anna Maria Staiano
Fri 19th April 18-21h with Lourdes Santamaria and Graham Bell Tornado
Classroom B-0-4 Faculty of Fine Arts, Polytechnic University of Valencia.
Congress & Exhibition – Postsexualidades II – Madrid
Really glad to participate in this exhibiton accompanying the “II Congress on Post-sexualities” at the Fine Arts Department of the UCM, Complutense University in Madrid from the 16th-23rd of April 2024.
Exhibition: Queer Models
1/12/23- 31/1/24 en el Espacio Editorial de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.01/02/2024-07-04-2024 en la Biblioteca de BBAA de la UPV.
Queer Models is an exhibition which captures a section of the trans and non binary community in Valencia right here right now and which draws attention to the lack of trans role models in society.
The exhibition opening also included a poignant hommage to that lost generation of queer artists, victims of a pandemic which governments paid little attention to- AIDS- carried out in colaboration with czech artist Martin Kamen.
As part of the event we were also celebrating our 15 years of cultural agitation in the very specific local context of Valencia, a region which has seen the swing from right to left wing and back again. As we enter a period where culture is in the hands of an extremist right wing ex-bullfighter this work is more important now than ever. The portraits in the exhibition witness our resilience and determination to maintain a radical stance no matter what political winds are blowing.
The exhibition has been extended till the 7th of April at the BBAA Library of the UPV.
Exhibition and workshop: Queer Ecologies
La Panera Arts Centre, Lleida, 28.10.2023 — 28.01.2024
This collective exhibition curated by Christian Alonso includes work by Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, O.R.G.I.A, Brigitte Baptiste and Guiu Gimeno Bardis alongside the results of our Ecotransformaciones workshops- the Ecoqueerplanet banner and the Grotesqueer drawings.
As part of the activities organised as part of the exhibition I will be doing an Ecoqueer Activism workshop on the 18th and 19th November to sew and draw more ecoqueer resistance.
June is the month of kink and queer revolt. Our Morbo Queer (trans: Queer Thrills) exhibition opens at La Posta gallery ( C/ Pintor Fillol, 2, Valencia).
To be queer is to disobey, to be mistaken, to fail, to fuck, to DISTURB!
Exhibition: Cultura Online at the CCCC
Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea, Valencia – 11 May/9 July 2023
The videos “Transexpace” and “Unofficial House of BentTour” (by La Erreria) have been selected to form part of this exhibition which can also be consulted online in the “Viewpoints that go beyond gender” (Visibles más allá del género) section of the Cultura Onlinewebpage.
Workshops and Exhibition: Queer Models
Polytechnical University of Valencia – 26/27 April 2023
As part of the”Queer Models” project, that was selected by the PC_Acts 2023 call out of the UPV, I run two workshops on gender play as a form of political activism followed by a photo session where photographer Martin Kámen documented a wide variety of gender expression with participants from the queer and trans scene here in Valencia (see picture below). The portraits will be the focus of an itinenary exhibiton which will begin at the UPV in the fall.
Exhibition: Keeping in Touch
Calle Maldonado 29, Valencia – 27/30 April 2023
Several of the pieces from my series of pectorals and ritualistic wearables were on display in this exhibition which formed part of the International Biennial of Contemporary Jewellery “Melting Point” organised by the EASD school or Art and Design.
In the photo the “”Twin Set for the Shamen”(aka Geyserbird).
Exhibition: PankArtes de La Erreria (House of Bent)
Al Margen, Valencia – 30 Mar/1 April 2023
PankArtes (the title is a play on words since in Valencian pancartes are banners and misspelling a “c” as a “k” is a sign of punk identification.Therefore the title can variously be read as Punk Arts or Banners). In this exhibition by La Erreria (House of Bent) organised as part of the XXI Anarchist Book Fair in the Al Margen libertarian social centre, we showed some of the surviving banners, with photographs of their presence on the streets, alongside documentation of others which are long gone.
BOOK: MUECA:S Conversaciones sobre metodologías torcidas
(Grimaces: Conversations about Bent Methodologies)
My text about La Erreria (House of Bent) is included in this book about queer methodologies published (in Spanish) by Bellaterra. “The book does not claim to be a methodological reference manual (that would be a contradiction in terms!). On the contrary, it opens itself up to debate and seeks to promote counter-fabulations which question the ins and outs of academic dogma. It is structured in six movements which explain the heterogeneity of our “funny faces”. The introduction, presented as a theoretical area, reveals the stitching which binds together the proposal. This is followed by a tentacular conversation with ten limbs, a text written by four hands, an attempt to fail divided into five experiences, a boomerang that goes back and forth in the somersaults between players, and a five-voice speculative fiction.”
Auxilia Photographic Competition
I won third prize in the Auxilia photographic competition with “Under Attack” a landscape depicting an “intruder” in the bird hide at the nature reserve.
TranSisters: Clara, Rampova & Me – SHOW
TranSisters, directed by Jacobo Julio Roger, is a musical and poetic portrait of the relationship between the author and performer Graham Bell Tornado with Clara Bowie and Rampova, members of the legendary subversive kabaret group Ploma 2 who revolutionized the Valencian scene with their proto-cuir shows in the 80s and 90s, and the radio waves with the first LGTB program in Spain: La Pinteta Rebel. The role of the Travestidora (costumier) is played by Anna Maria.
Graham and Rampova have performed together since 2004 in spaces such as Pepica la Pilona, Mayhem, SGAE, Totart, Espacio Oximoron, Centro Octubre, IVAM, CCCC and in festivals such as Cabanyal Intim, united by their vision of cabaret as a form of fun social criticism, radical and transforming. Les Transisters in the title refers to a sisterhood that exists between queers and trans people, a form of queer affective relationships outside the patterns of the heterosexual family.
#EcoQueerPlanet – Exhibition
Our latest exhibition is a collective exploration of ecofeminism and queer ecology with works in textiles, drawings of cyborgian grotesques, sculpture and documentation of actions and video works. It´s in the Sala Biblioteca of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Polytechnic University of Valencia and can be seen until June 17.
The #EcoQueerPlanet exhibition is based on an analysis of the ecological crisis and our situation here and now: Europe 2022. Result of a series of workshops where participants sewed and drew together which are displayed alongside works by related artists including Thierry Alexandre, Agrocuir, Anne Barton de Mayor, Aitana Cerdán Campos, Toni Cordero, Mery Favaretto, Institute of Queer Ecology, William James, Martin Kámen, Bea Millón, Azul Macas Moreno, Cristina Polop, Fran Quiroga, Marco Ranieri, Lourdes Santamaria, Chiara Sgaramella, Pilar Soto, Anna Maria Staiano, Beth Stephens y Annie Sprinkle, Samantha Sweeting, Edward Vicens Luna, Graham Bell Tornado y Chris X.
An article about the exhibition (read it in Spanish here) came out in CulturPlaza and the translation is on our press page.
Brilliant Generation – Exhibition
I am very proud to participate in the jewellery exhibition “Generació Brilliant” commemorating 20 years of the EASD School of Art and Design in Valencia which opened on the 24th of May at the Center of Artesania of the Valencian Region on occasion of the Valencia World Capital of Design 2022. #art#design#jewellerydesigner#ValenciaCapitalofDesign#EASD
In this theoretical/practical workshop we gave a brief introduction to the concepts of ecotransfeminism and queer ecology, and showed the video collage About Architecture without Architecture by William James. The workshop included a collective practice of creation in textiles and drawing (creating a series of “grotescuirs” using the technique of the “exquisite corpse”) for the exhibition #ecoqueernation, which will be in the Sala Biblioteca of the FFBBAA, from May 30 to June 17, 2022.
SHOW: TranSisters (Clara, Rampova & Me) in Vociferio
La Erreria (House of Bent) presents Graham Bell Tornado in TranSisters (Clara, Rampova & Me) directed by Jacobo Julio Roger. Produced in collaboration with the Carme Teatre for the festival of poetry Vociferio, TranSisters is a musical and poetic portrait of Graham’s relationship with Clara Bowie and Rampova, members of the legendary and highly subversive kabaret group Ploma 2 who revolutionized the Valencian scene with their proto-queer shows in the 80s and 90s, and the radio waves with the first LGTB program in Spain: La Pinteta Rebel. Graham and Rampova have performed together since 2004 in spaces such as Pepica la Pilona, Mayhem, SGAE, Totart, Espacio Oximoron, Centro Octubre, IVAM, CCCC and at festivals such as Cabanyal Intim, united by their vision of cabaret as a form of radical and trans-forming social criticism. The Transisters in the title refers to a sisterhood that exists between queers and trans people, a form of queer affective relationships outside the patterns of the heterosexual family. TranSisters (Clara, Rampova & Me) opens on Feb 24 at 8:30 p.m at the Carme Teatre, c/Gregorio Gea, 6 Valencia. A report on the show was shown on A Punt local tv station
Transexpace in the AAAA* Conference
In November Anna Maria presented the short film Transexpace as part of the online symposium AAAA* (Art, Alliances, Affections and Something else) organized by the Miguel Hernandez University of Elche. The conference, based on the theoretical and methodological framework proposed by the zoologist and philosopher Donna Haraway, grouped under the acronym SF (science fiction, speculative fabulation, string figures, speculative feminism, scientific facts, so far) which articulates possible encounters and “rare kinships” from an interdisciplinary perspective. AAAA* is situated at the intersection of the field of artistic research with other fields of cultural studies such as political speculation (feminist, queer/queer, decolonial, environmentalist), the epistemology of fiction and visual studies in order to propose possible alliances and practices which reflect on technocratic, petrocultural, necropolitical, colonial and heterocentric regimes.
International Film Festivals – October 2021
In a world ruled by screens, what better way to get the ecotransfemme word out than through film! This week La Erreria is on(screen) overdose with “Confinement Rap” being shown as a finalist in the Dona´m Cine festival (Barcelona), “Lets Get Ecosexy!” in the queer shorts programme of the 10th Queer Streifen festival (Regensburg, Germany) and our sci-fi short “Transexpace” in the queer horror film festival Grito Queer (Sao Paulo, Brazil).
Feminist Film Festival Dona’m Cine – Barcelona
Our experimental short film Confinement Rap has been selected as a finalist in the feminist Dona’m Cine competition and will be screened at the awards ceremony on 21 de octubre in Barcelona
SIPADI Academic Conference
Really excited to participate in the SIPADI Conference on the 21st of October presenting a paper on the Erreria (House of Bent) that I wrote as part of the recently finalised Master in Cultural Studies and Visual Arts with feminist and queer perspectives (MUECA) at the University of Miguel Hernández de Elche. For more info: https://sipadi.umh.es/
Festival Encuentros en el Mar – Canaries
Feeling proud and grateful to the amazing “Encuentros en el Mar” festival in the Canary Islands for honouring us with the Star Award in recognition of the Erreria (House of Bent)´s work promoting (and creating!) queer art. The festival was an amazing experience during which we opened a P.I.N.Q. (Post Industrial Natural Queer) Park in the botanic gardens of Vallehermoso on the beautiful island of La Gomera. The ceremony included a colaboration with a “silbadora gomera” whistling in the language which is unique to the island. I also participated in a round table discussion on camp moderated by Soberbia Drag with the writers Carlos Valdivia, Daniel Maria and Carlos Barea.
Exhibition – Territoris Invertits
I am participating in the collective exhibition Territoris Invertits (MUCBE, Benicarlo June-July) which unites work related to the experience of sexual dissidents/ queers living in the Mediterranean. Curated by Andrea Corrales, the exhibition includes my film Solitaire alongside work by Graham Bell Tornado, giulia perla tempesta, Mery Sut, Felipe Rivas, Bajo Rufian, O.R.G.I.A., Lucia Egaña and many more.
On occasion of International Women´s Day, the newspaper Las provincias has published a Special Issue which includes an interview with Salvia Ferrer director of the Intramurs Arts Festival. I´m really proud that Salvia chose my sculpture “Re/Model” to represent women empowement.💜 The full article is available here
Feminist Book
Hot off the press for International Women´s Day, “Shouting Voices” is a book which compiles the demands of various feminists, part of the art project by Julia Galán for the MUVIM museum in Valencia. Here is my contribution.
House of Bent TRAILER
“I may be masked but I´m going to tell you the naked truth about art snobbery and corporate robbery. This review is a piece of eco-queer-trans-femme-in-hist-ery!” from the virtual tour of the “House of Bent” queer and femme art installation which formed part of the “De Reüll: 1990-2020” exhibition curated by Rafael Tormo Cuenca in the CCCC (Valencia).
A great article by Jose Ramón Alarcón in the arts magazine MAKMA about our House of Bent installation of queer, fem and eco art which forms part of the De Reüll 1990-2020 exhibition at the CCCC in Valencia. You can read the whole article here and the original Spanish version here
Excéntrico in CHILE
We are taking part in the International Showcase of Critical Pornoography “Excéntrico” which takes place in Chile and online from the 24th to the 30th of January 2021.
Our short film “Let´s get Ecosexy!” will be shown in the ecosexual programme “Imagine the Earth as your Lover” curated by Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens. More information: https://excentricofest.com/
In the Spotlight – on Instagram
Our “En el Blanco” (In the Spotlight) Instagram campaign to promote queer and feminist artists in the “House of Bent” installation has ended. You can visit this online gallery here: www.instagram.com/annamariastaiano.erreria/
The installationforms part of the “De Reüll: 1990-2020” exhibition which continues at the Centre del Carme in Valencia till 21st of February 2021. More info below.
House of Bent – CCCC Arts Centre
We are taking part in the exhibition“DE REÜLL: 1990-2020. Cultivate, share, practice…”, curated by Rafael Tormo Cuenca at the CCCC Arts Centre in Valencia, with theHouse of Bentinstallation in which we use a transfeminist and queer methodology blurring the boundaries between art, crafts and “handicrafts” in order to question the values of the art institutions and the art market.
House of Bent is an expansive and anatomical installation based on La Erreria, our house-museum in Xàtiva and its collection, which reflects another way of collecting, based on affectivity, story-telling and activism.
It features work by Aldo Alcota, Alice Roth, Almudena López, Amaury Grisel, Angela Dalinger, Annie Sprinkle y Beth Stephens, Balfourgisnacht Monster, Cabello/Carceller, Chris Korda, Divine David, J. Palacios, Joan Isobel Bell, jole, Jose Ruiz Segura, Macarena De La Cruz, Marquéz de Gea, Mery Sut, O.R.G.I.A., Prefix-poly, Rampova, Rapha Hu, Samantha Sweeting, Simon Murphy and Toni Cordero amongst others.
It was a hoot colaborating with Gore Gore Gays on their new music video “Maledetto Spoiler” by cult director Toni Trash feauring Luis Miguélez and web stars RottenMind. It´s just fab!!!!!! Check it out on: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVaYd2sJYIU
Fem Tour Truck in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country)
On the 18th of december this international festival of feminist videoart, took to the streets of Vitoria-Gasteiz with a selection of 60 videos inclyding our short “Confinement Rap”. More information: http://www.femtourtruck.com
FEMART EXHIBITION in Barcelona
“The field of art, by force, always exceeds the institution demanding from it, openness, transformation and insurrection in established practices and discourses. Art understood as a social practice, paradoxically, does not countenance any institution that wants to order and domesticate it.” FEMART
We are super happy that our video-installation “Construyendo Consuelo” is in the exhibition “La Institución dentro de mi” (The Institution within) organized by FEMART in Ca la Dona (Barcelona) till the 12th of February 2021. More info: https://la-institucio-dins-meu.hotglue.me/
The video installation documents a series of drag transfeminist actions carried out by Graham Bell Tornado from 2011 to 2014 in the role of Consuelo Ciscar, the controversial former director of IVAM (The Valencian Modern Art Museum), and includes press clippings and material collected for an alternative hysteria of 21st Century Valencian Art.
The video begins with Graham´s presentation at a press conference requesting the resignation of Ciscar, organized by the Valencian association of art critics (led at this time by José Luis Pérez Pont), and ends with the action they carried out at the Fin de Ciscar (End of Ciscar) Party, an occupation of the museum by representatives of the galleries, artists and art critics of the region. More info on the project: www.grahambelltornado.com/rituals/construyendo-consuelo/
DOCUMENTARY: borrador battonz kabaret
“The kabaret battonz opened up one of these spaces of freedom …” this is how Graham´s interview for the documentary about the borrador battonz ends.
The interview was carried out during the Covid lockdown, which heavily conditioned its form since the closeness and possiblity for dialogue we would have had in other circumstances was absent. The entire documentary “borrador battonz kabaret” can be viewed in the exhibition “Cultura Online” at the Centro del Carmen de Valencia and at this link: www.ideadestroyingmuros.info/kabaret/ and the interview with Graham, here: https://vimeo.com/487681977
It is perhaps ironic that the interview comes out the same week that we inaugurate a new video installation in the exhibition “L´Institució dins de mi” (more info in the post above) because we met ideadestroyingmuros- the makers of the documentary and the kabaret- in 2007 in Valencia and we have all been “de-formed” in the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UPV carrying out our Masters and Phds.
It would be interesting to trace the effects of the institution on our work there, especially with the political changes that have happened in the last few years. We have covered a lot of ground in the anti-capitalist and transfeminist struggle – sharing stages in the Muestra Marrana (Barcelona) the Cabaret Charivari and when Graham presented the borrador battonz in Ubik (Valencia), exchanging knowledge and practices in the transfeminist timebank, and when we invited them to impart their ecodrag workshop at the Ecotransfeminism Conference at the University of Valencia in 2012. So the interview could have lasted hours but here it focuses on the three questions they asked related to the kabaret and the decolonial approach of their current work.
In Bed with the ERRERIA
It was a great pleasure to participate in the Festival on Cultures and Humand Rights “Encuentros en el Mar”. We planned to present a live performative lecture in the Canary Islands in april 2020 but due to the COVID we had to settle for a virtual IN HOUSE encounter in november. You can watch this webinar at: https://erreriahouseofbent.wordpress.com/
Culture Online Exhibition
Our videos “Solitaire” and “Confinement Rap” have been selected as part of the section on sexual and gender dissidence in the exhibition #CMCVaCasaCultura Online at the contemporary art centre CCCC in Valencia till the end of January 2020. More information: https://culturaonline.consorcimuseus.gva.es/es/cultura-online/
The shorts are also available online at the following links, clicking on the left handside column in the link: “Ver Obra”:
We are super happy to participate with two pieces of video-art in the exhibition “Cultura Online” which opens at the museum Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea in Valencia on the 22nd of October and will also be brodcast online till the end of January.
Exhibition – Balak 11 (France)
Great to be part of “The One Minutes” ecosexual film programme curated by Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens and shown as part of the Balak 11 exhibition in the public toilets in Charleville (France) alongside artists like Ron Athey, John Waters, Sylvie Lehmers and Tom of Finland. More information on the project here: https://www.reseaux-artistes.fr/actualites/balak-11/
Film Festival Mostra Viva
Premiere of our short during lockdown “Confinement Rap” at the Mostra Viva del Mediterrani, as part of the FEM Tour Truck programme of feminist video-art, organised in collaboration with the International Biennal Woman & Film, at the Octubre Centre on Tuesday 13th of October.
As part of the LGTBQI cicle of talks at Muviment (Muvim, Valencia) with Liz Dust, presentation of Rampova´s memoirs about the historical trans revolutionary cabaret group Ploma 2.
EcoFutures(2020)
Curators of the Ecofutures project Giulia Casalini and Diana Georgiou have compiled this interesting guide which compliments their recent publication exploring queer, feminist and decolonial approaches to ecological debates. It includes a survey of artists such as Graham Bell Tornado who have participated in the project and a list of publications and other resources for further research. https://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/ecofutures-2020/
Queer Feminist Decolonial Ecologies
We are really happy to form part of the recently published dossier edited by Diana Giorgiu, Katie Goss and Sofia Vranou and coordinated by Cuntemporary Arts. It is based on the incredible Ecofutures festival they organised in London in 2019. The publication includes texts by Anna Tokareva, Amelia Goldberg and Amanda Monti amongst others and includes Graham Bell Tornado´s article on The Participatory Rituals of Transgender Shaman Geyserbird. The dossier is available (free) online here
MUSEARI Queer Art AWARD 2020
La Erreria (House of Bent) has just received the 2020 Museari Queer Art Award for Collectives in acknowledgment of the “performative value of (their) art actions and all the projects which have made La Erreria a queer reference point internationally”.
It´s great to receive this award after over 11 years of promoting and making politically committed art with a feminist and queer perspective and representing the often invisible B and the T in the LGTBQI+ acronym. Thank you to everyone who has collaborated in our projects over the years, this award is for you too!!!
This year the Museari Awards have a special significance because our dear friend Rampova whose first solo show opened the Erreria in 2009 got the well deserved life-long award for their activism and art. More information about the awards in this Levante newspaper´s article here.
Photos Museari by Belma Navarro
Mostra FEM ART 2020 – BCN
Our project “Construyendo Consuelo“, a trans critique of power and corruption in the arts, has been selected for the 26th edition of the feminist exhibition Mostra Fem Art dedicated to “The institution within me” which will take place in December 2020/January 2021. More information here.
Transnational Queer Underground
!st Prize Photo GBT – The meeting of the animal and human worlds: an exchange of glamour
Graham and I won the 1st and the 2nd Audience Prize of the Transnational Queer Underground Photo Competition “Imagining Change“. Here a photo of the fabulous TQU goodie bags we received from Berlin as part of the reward.
FEM TOUR TRUCK 2020
Our new short “Confinement Rap” has been selected for the biennal Fem Tour Truck International Feminist Video Art Festival touring different cities in Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia (there are more countries to be confirmed) till 2022.
PhD Excellency Prize and more!!!
Fabulous news! The ever amazing Graham Bell Tornado has just been awarded the Excellency Prize by the Polytechnic University of Valencia for the PhD Thesis “Natural Hysteria – a queer response to ecocide” based on their investigation and performances in the field of queer ecology. So many years of hard work but it was worth it!!!
When fiction meets reality: Graham Bell Tornado analysing Geyserbird(Photo by AM Staiano)
Two extra reason to be proud, in occasion of Pride day, theLevantenewspaper published this articleabout Graham´s thesis.
And Extinction Rebellion has just published “Extinct or Alive“, an ecotransfeminist song that Graham recorded with Gran Tour. You can listen to it here.
PUSSY Photographic Project
Really proud to collaborate with my PUSSIES in Carlos Valencia´s fantastic photographic series #EsteCuerpoEsMio (This body is mine). Here a little preview.
Photograph by Carlos Valencia with Mafer Herrera. Necklace from the “Pussy Alliance” series by Anna Maria Staiano
Festival Urban Body in Action
We are thrilled to be in the catalogue of the International Festival Urban Body in Action which has just come out. The video programme has been presented in various festivals and conferences in Brazil, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands and includes our action “Queers Against Climate Change” which can be viewed here: https://urbanbodyinaction.wixsite.com/urbanbodyinaction
RAMPOVA at IVAM
When we organised Rampova´s first solo exhibition in La Erreria (House of Bent) in 2009, we aimed to promote their work in all its facets to a wider public, which was hard due to the LGBTphobic climate of the times. Now things have changed and it´s FANTASTIC to see Rampova finally getting the recognition they deserve at an institutional level with a room dedicated to their artwork at the “Counter-culture. Resistance, Utopia and Provocation in Valencia” exhibition at IVAM till the 17th of May 2020. Don´t miss it!!! More information about Rampova´s exhibition at La Erreria: https://erreriahouseofbent.wordpress.com/rampova-cabaret/
Opening night with Rampova – IVAM
The Editorial Imperdible has just published Rampova´s memoir “Kabaret Ploma 2. Let’s socialize the sequins”, conciding with the 40th anniversary of the group Ploma 2. The book has a prologue by Abelardo Muñoz, a text by Lourdes Santamaría Blasco and another by Juan Vicente Aliaga Espert that review Rampova´s comics and their graphic work.
MEXICO here WE COME!
As part of Graham´s Mexican adventure, we have organised a performance and two presentations of our publications in conjunction with La Erreria (House of Bent). The first one took place in San Cristobal de Las Casas (Chiapas) on the 23rd of November.
Bookshop La Cosecha – San Cristobal de Las Casa (Chiapas)
Next performative presentation of our books took place at the “Voces en Tinta” LGTB cultural centre in Mexico City on Saturday 14th December with a Mexican edition of our Cuir Zine. More information at: www.somosvoces.com
Furthermore Graham has carried out the “How To Heal” participative ritual at the “Border” cultural centre in México City on Friday 13th of December as part of the “Jauría Trans” programming. It was the Mexican preview of Geyserbird!!!
Ritual – Border Centro Cultural – México City
CRUSEV BOOK
Finally the book “Re-imagining sexual dissidence in 70s Spain”, fruit of the CRUSEV Conference in Spain has now come out and it includes Graham´s essay “Antitrenimiento 70” (Antitainment 70). This text is based on their performance which was the closing act of the conference at IVAM. I collaborated with photographic work, vídeo and outfits for this multimedia performance and I can´t wait to read the book which also includes a text about our dear friend Rampova, featured on the book cover!!!
Diversity CONFERENCE at the IVAM
It was such a great experience to be part of the “LGTBIQ+ Activism and Intersectionality” round-table discussion in the conference about “Sexual and Gender Diversity. LGTBIQ+ Dissidence in the Classroom” which took place at the IVAM, the contemporary art museum of Valencia, on the 15th and 16th of November. It was really inspiring meeting so many interesting people and discovering projects committed with equality, activism and education.
Mostra Viva del Mediterrani
Doubly proud!!!! Both “Solitaire” and “Transexpace” have been selected for the session of videoart creations by the International Festival Woman & Cinema and will be shown in the Film Festival Mostra Viva del Mediterrani on the 15th of November at the Octubre Contemporary Cultural Centre in Valencia. This is a one-off opportunity to see both shorts on the big screen at the same time! More information
BOOKSHOP Presentation MADRID
We had a great time at the presentation of our publishing house on the 26th of September at the LGTBQ+ bookshop Berkana in Madrid where wonderful hosts Mili and Mar made us feel very welcome!
One of the “inter-actions” with our rad-fem coffee table book Impure
Amazon has put so many LGTB bookshops out of business they are one of the few that survive, so we are really happy to have them as our worldwide distributors!!! You can see full details of all our books in our publications section. They are all available at Berkana´s online store.
Taller de Salud Sexual BI+
I presented a workshop on Bisexual+ Sexual Health on 23rd of Septemeber in the loal LGTB centere, te Colectivo Lambda, to celebrate the International Bi VisiBIlity Day. It was wonderful to see that the visiBIlity was such that it was promoted on the Valencian Bus Service all day!
This workshop represents the culmination of the Master Degree in “Sexology, Sexual Orientation and Therapy” which I undertook at the Univrsity of Extremadura in 2018/19. It was a fantastic learning experience and a long-standing dream come true for me. I hope this would mark the beginning of a new era where art, activism and sexuality merge. More info: https://lambdavalencia.org/es/taller-salud-sexual-bisexuales
A guided tour by Anna Maria Staiano and Graham Bell Tornado of our solo work and the Erreria X installation within the Museari Queer Art exhibition in Las Naves Valencia. The installation marks 10 years of activity as La Erreria (House of Bent) and was done in colaboration with Mostra La Ploma.
After the tour a participatory parade will take us to the adjoining lot where the 8th P.I.N.Q. Park Opening Ceremony will take place. The network of Post Industrial Natural Queer reserves has been created by La Erreria to protect diversity in all its forms – sexual, biological y cultural. Given that the route passes by what was once the site of the Brazilian Consulate we have decided to dedicate this parade to the indigeneous peoples of Amazonia and their fight to conserve their land from the corrupt and LGTBphobic government of that country.
RITUAL & Museari Awards
The event began with the projection of our short film “Invocation of the Wayward Saints“(2005) and the participatory ecoqueer ritual “How to Heal…” officiated by the shaman travesti Geyserbird (Graham Bell Tornado) in a special version dedicated to the Stonewall, LGTBQI+ & ecological activists.
It ended with the Premios Museari 2019 ceremony in which Nazario Luque, Ventura Pons, Juan Vicente Aliaga, Rosa Sanchis, Tatiana Sentamans and la Editorial Egales won awards for their activism.
Ecogender X/ Ecogénero X book
We are very happy to present our latest publication based on the (r)evolutionary project Ecogender / Ecogénero by La Erreria (House of Bent). The book has a prologue by Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens and texts by Graham Bell Tornado, Verónica Perales, William James and Diana J. Torres (la Pornoterrorista).
La Erreria Xposé in Museari
The Erreria Xposé an X-centric conference- organised in colaboration with the Mostra la Ploma as part of the Museari Queer Art exhibition- reflected 10 years of cultural activism by La Erreria (House of Bent) with the following programme:
– 18h. Performative Lecture on La Erreria (House of Bent)
18:30h. Presentation of the (r)evolutionary project and book EcogenderX / EcogéneroX with Eugenia Rojo researcher on art and ecology.
20h. Conversation between Rampova and Graham Bell Tornado about our first exhibition The World of Rampova Cabaret (2009).
Arteari Conference
We presented the publications of La Erreria (House of Bent), including Transexpace, Impure and The World of Rampova Cabaret in this conference organized within the framework of the exhibition of Museari with talks by artists and academics such as Tatiana Sentamans, Elia Torrecilla, Sebas Martin and Rosa Sanchis amongst others.
Museari Queer Art
We are participating in the MUSEARI QUEER ART exhibition which takes place at Las Naves (Valencia) in collaboration with La Mostra de la Ploma from June 17 to August 31, 2019, The exhibition includes pieces by Anna Maria Staiano and Graham Bell Tornado (selected as artist of the month by Museari online) as well as our installation La Erreria X and various activities which celebrates the X year of La Erreria (House of Bent) with a retrospective of our most outstanding projects.
Museari Queer Art 2019, Opening Night – Photo by Helena Calvillo Samada
PUSSY Exhibition at Sexology Conference
Pussy AllianceMedallions is an open project which started in 2014 to pay hommage to women and trans/genderqueer artists and activists.
A selection of photographs and necklaces from this series will be exhibited at the II Jornadas Nacionales de Sexología in Mérida (Spain) with a presentation on 21st of June at 17.30h. More information about this fantastic conference for a healthy and free sexuality at: www.icexs.com/jornadas
We are very proud to contribute to this long awaited book “Me too…history of bodies and identities in struggle” with an essay about our practice as La Erreria (House of Bent), an expanded house museum.
A choral book that involved different artistic and academic voices around feminist and queer art projects developed since the 1990s. Why did feminist art — not of women — take so long to cross the walls of the institutions?
Now available in bookstores all over Spain, “Yo Soy…” was coordinated by Professors Ana Navarrete and Virginia Paniagua and has contributions by Carmen Navarrete, Jesús Martínez Oliva, the collective O.R.G.I.A., William James, Mercè Galán, La Errería (House of Bent) y Ideasdestroyingmuros. More info: http://www.barlinlibros.org/new-page
Our *NEW* PUBLICATIONS
WOW!!! Hot off the press the second edition of “Impure” (with new photographs by Toni Cordero) and the English edition of our sci-fi photonovella “Transexpace”…
“IMPURE” – Ed. Anna Maria Staiano in collaboration with La Erreria (House of Bent)TRANSEXPACE – Ed. Anna Maria Staiano in collaboration with La Erreria (House of Bent)
Cruising the 70´s Conference – Edinburgh
We´ve been really busy preparing our new publications for La Erreria (House of Bent)´s trip to Scotland. Over the moon to present the English version of our sci-fi photonovella “Transexpace”, the second edition of “Impure” and the “Cuir Zine” at the Lavender Menace pop up bookstall in Edinburgh as part of the CRUSEV Conference “Imagining Queer Europe then and now” where Graham Bell Tornado performed their “Antitainment 70” Show.
The English version of “Transexpace” is now available at the “Category Is Books” bookshop in Glasgow.
V International Biennal Woman & Film
The experimental short “Transexpace” forms part of the official selection of the International Biennal Dona i Cinema/ Mujer y Cine / Woman & Film. The screening took place on 16th of January at the Babel Cinema in Valencia and was presented by the director Anna Maria Staiano, the script writer Ximo Rochera and the performer Graham Bell Tornado. For more information: http://donaicinema.es
Exhibition & Queerzine
“Queering el Archivo Nacional” Polytechnic University of Valencia (3 Dec/7 Jan. 2019)
*The collective publication “Cuir-Zine” will be presented at the exhibition opening*
To celebrate the Erreria´s 9th anniversary we presented a queer-zine workshop, the collective publication “Cuir Zine” and the exhibition “Queering the National Archive”. Queering the national archive proposes the creation of an alternative archive by altering the official history with our hysterias. The archive we propose, based on printed material, is of an intergenerational nation without borders. The idea that sexual and gender dissidents form a trans-national community may seem, as José Esteban Muñoz would say, a utopia, but this same exhibition and the cuir-zine, result of the workshop, are a clear example of its reality.
The exhibition is inspired by the project “The Recyclopedia”, an archive of encyclopedias, didactic books and magazines from the years of the Franco dictatorship in Spain that have been assembled, and in some cases, altered from a queer and ecofeminist perspective by Graham Bell Tornado. Volumes of “The Recyclopedia” will be exhibited alongside copies of queer-zines from the Erreria collection and graphic work from the “Cuir-Zine”, which includes more than 20 artists from Spain, Colombia, Chile, Italy and Scotland. More information: https://erreriahouseofbent.wordpress.com/queering-el-archivo-nacional/
FEM Tour Truck in South America and Europe
These are the first destination of the Biennal of Feminist Video-Art FEM TOUR TRUCK where my short documentary Solitaire and the sci-fi video-art piece Transexpace will be shown from August 2018. Seguimos rodando!!! 17 nov Madrid, 23 nov Guayaquil, 24 nov Cuenca, 8 dic Puerto Rico!
Week against Gender Violence
We are presentating a performance on 23rd of November as part of the 1 week long festival against gender violence.
LGTB Film Festival – LesGaiCineMad
The documentary “Solitaire” has been screened on 1st and 10th of November in the official section of the 23rd edition of the LesGaiCineMad, the LGTB Film Festival in Madrid. More info: http://www.lesgaicinemad.com/documentales-2018/
Queer-Zines at the UPV in Valencia
La Erreria (House of Bent) presented a workshop on Queer-Zines which will be followed by an exhibition of the group work at the University Polythechnic of Valencia. More information: http://www.facebook.com/events/720493771645988/
Workshop: 30 October 2018 – Room B.0.4. – Faculty of Fine Arts, UPV. Exhibition: 3 Dec-7 Jan 2019 – Library – Faculty of Fine Arts, UPV.
TRANS CONFERENCE
Really excited about the workshop I gave on sex resources with a trans perspective at the Lambda LGTBQ+ Collective in Valencia as part of the Trans Conference on 20th October. It was a very warm reception and lovely experience.
FEMALE DESIRE at Valencia University
On 15th of October I participated with Áurea Ortiz and Nacho Moreno in a debate about female desire in the arts at Valencia University as part of the “IV Parlem D´Art” cycle of Art Talks. More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1507785302700065/
PHD & Natural Hysteria
La Erreria (House of Bent) is entering a new phase now that Graham Bell Tornado has been awarded a PhD Cum Laude in “Art Production and Investigation. We are planning to publish the findings, as well as produce video-work and organise an exhibition based on their investigation “Natural Hysteria (a queer response to ecocide) An exercise in Living Art, Participatory Rituals and Queer Ecology“.
DEEP TRASH ESCORIA in London
We are really excited that our new short film “Ecogender (R)evolucionary Parade”, by La Erreria (House of Bent) in collaboration with A Les Balconades, has been premiered at the CUNTemporary Arts special event “DEEP TRASH Escoria” on 22 September 2018 at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club in London. The film documents a participative street action in which we claimed space for queers, indigenous people, women and animals, celebrating our close relationship with other Earth species. More information:https://cuntemporary.org/category/deep-trash-events
Vídeo: “Ecogender (R)evolucionary Parade”, by La Erreria (House of Bent)
Women Film Festival in Barcelona
I have participated with the short film “Prou” (“Enough”) starring the fantastic Elena Battaglia, in the call out for the one minute video of the Mostra de Films de Dones de Barcelona.The collective film “Les Bogeries” (“The Follies”) resulting from the call out can be viewed at this link:https://www.mostrafilmsdones.cat/project/el-video-del-minut-2018/
Elena Battaglia in “Prou”
CORAZONADAS in the Valencian July Fair
We have participated at the Corazonadas concert as the La Erreria (House of Bent) in the space dedicated to feminist associations and collectives with Transexpace and other publication. This concert with Rozalén, Christina Rosenvinge and Thaïs Morell, took place on the 25th of July, in the gardens Jardines de Viveros of Valencia as part of the Feria de Julio.In Corazonadas women have been the protagonists with poetry, music, art, social justice and feminism.
MUSEARI QUEER ART
Closing Party of the exhibition Museari Queer Art with awards ceremony at La Fundación La Posta on 17th July. It was an amazing night and it was fantastic meeting so many queer artists and personalities, amongst them the LGTB activist Jordi Petit who received one of the awards.
Museari Team, artists and LGTB activistswith the amazing trans artist, activist and diva, Rampova
VIDEOPRIDE in La NeoMudejar – Madrid
We are celebrating Pride participating to the LGTB Video-Art Festival Videopride, with “Solitaire” at the La NeoMudejarMuseum in Madrid, on the 5th of July.
MAKMA – Publication
The first printed number of the art magazine MAKMA has just come out and it includes a fantastic photo of the Shaman Travesti Geyserbird (aka Graham Bell Tornado) by Toni Cordero originally made for our book IMPURE.
ATENEA – Women in Artistic Technologies
We presented the project and video-art piece Transexpace in ATENEA, the 1st Conference of Women in Artistic Technologies, on Friday 29 of June at the auditorium of the Arts Faculty of the UPV, University Polytechnic of Valencia.
“Atenea is an feminist emerging project which aims to create an offline and online network space for women in technological arts. We are mainly focused on the interdisciplinarity and on the exchange between women in art and women in tech.” More information:http://atenea.in/programa/
FEM Tour Truck
So happy to have just been selected to tale part in the next Biennal of Feminist Video-Art FEM TOUR TRUCK with the short Solitaireand the piece of video-art Transexpace. This year the Bienal will organises live action, talks, screening and events, touring Spain, Portugal, France, Scotland, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Argentina and next year it will continue in different countries. As their statement says: “showing the stories of empowered women, showing that the world is not as the media tell us, showing that we are many women and all different, giving voice to those forgotten women, to the murdered women, to brave women, because we know that the world is not going to change politics, we are going to change ourselves with our struggle, with our blood and with our tears, denouncing injustices and going out to protest, they are not going to shut up.” – Long Live the FEM Tour Truck!
Nasty Women Art Prize EXHIBITIONS
Really proud to have been shortlisted for the Nasty Women International Art Prize and included for the NWAP Showcase Exhibitions which took place at the PRAXIS Galleryin Newcastle (UK), the Popinnart in Amsterdam and the Eka Palace in Lisbon on 21st of June 2018. More information: www.nastywomenartprize.com/
Museari Queer Art
I am really proud to have been selected as artist of the month (may/june 2018) for the online museum Museari – Museum of the Imaginarywhich celebrates art, provocation and sexual diversity. You can see my exhibition Body Matters on this link: http://www.museari.com/portfolio_page/anna-maria-staiano/
I am also taking part in the Museari Queer Art annual group exhibition which opened at La Fundación La Posta in Valencia on 13th of June for which many activities have been organised till 17th of July 2018. More information: www.museari.comNewspaper Review El Mundo
Mostra de la Ploma – LGTBI Film Festival
I presented the short documentary “Solitaire” at the Mostra de la Ploma, an international film and arts festival for sexual and gender diversity, in the session “Del Deseo y la Identidad” (About Desire and Identity) at the Cinema Alba Texas in Valencia on 6th of June at 19pm. More info: https://mostralaploma.orghttps://au-agenda.com
Feminist Art Festival “Prima Fest 2.0”
It was great taking part in the “No te metas con mi Prima Fest 2.0“, a festival for women creators, artists, illustrators, designers and editors of feminist publications on Saturday 26th of May at the Dahlia in Valencia. A nice opportunity to present the Transexpace universe amongst a great variety of activities, presentations and concerts. More information: http://www.instagram.com/primafest2.0
Transexpace at IVAM
Launch of the multi-media project and publication Transexpace with Anna Maria Staiano, Graham Bell Tornado (La Erreria House of Bent), Ximo Rochera (Ediciones Canibaal) and Eva Pez (Graphic Designer and Performer) at IVAM, the Museum of Contemporary Arts of Valencia on the 29th of April a las 12.30 pm, as part of the bienal Melting Point 2018 of Art Jewellery.
Photo/Foto: Carmen MonzonisPHOTOS/FOTOS: José Castañ
Transexpace: Galactic Revoltis an experimental project which has taken the shape of sci-fi body extensions, a performance, a short-film and a photo-novela, This high gloss science fiction fantasy subverts the stereotypical genre of the photo-novel in a universe populated by Amazonian warriors, androgynous diplomats and genderbenders.
The “Diosa” multi-media project by Ana Wika, in which I collaborated with the piece below, has been presented at the MACA Museum of Contemporary Arts in Alicante on 27th April at 18.30 pm. More information: http://www.diosastheshortfilm.com
Festival NosGusTrans
On the 13th of April the short “Transexpace” was shown at at the MACA museum of Alicante in the official section of the 1st Trans Film Festival in Spain which took place from the 9-14 of April 2018. A week full of Trans events. More info: https://nosgustas.com/Articulos/nosGusTrans.html
#presentes – International Women´s Day 2018
Participatory action organised by Rosa Sáez from the EASD School of Art & Design in Valencia on 7th of March 2018 with the aim to visibilise the unpaid work of the woman in the house and outside such as caring for children and hte elderly.
#presentes proposes a “Manniquin Challenge” to support the 8th of March strike with the slogan “Let´s stop the World”.
Photos by Toni Marín
Women & Crafts
Learning new techniques thanks to this great course with Ana Higueras. My hand stiching away in Sutures, my latest sculpture... art or/& craft?
Sutures (2018) – Anna Maria Staiano
Festival – Woman & Film 2018
As part of the International Film Festival Woman & Film, on the 16th of January I participated in the debate“IF I CAN´T DANCE IT´S NOT MY REVOLUTION – Recuperating playful/festive spaces with a feminist perspective” at the Babel Cinema in Valencia after the screening of the 2017 winning documentary “Play Me Burlesque“. More information: http://mailchi.mp/f5fbd7596809/ciclo-dona-i-cinema-cicle-palmares-1377341?e=1f1940a375
Reminiscences of my queer childhood portrayed in photography, video and sculpture.A poetic and symbolic interpretation of sexual dissidence that explores the social and family pressure on girls to become “good women.”
The exhibition revolves around the memory and family heritage and includes objects from my childhood that have been used for making the pieces. As a central part of this process of rebuilding the past, I have made a reproduction of the life size doll that I built as a child with my great-aunt. This was my very first body extension and formed the focal point of the Solitaire video on show during the exhibition and of the participatory performance that took place on the opening night.
Foto/Photo: Valencia PlazaFoto/Photo: Valencia Plaza
A les Balconades 2017
Back to Valencia, La Erreria (House of Bent) participated in “A les Balconades 2017” (25 may/11 june) with two installations ECOGÈNERO. LA DIVERSIDAD ES VIDA (Ecogender. Diversity is Life) and P.I.N.Q. PARC (P.I.N.Q. Park – Post Industrial Natural Queer) and the partecipatory street action ECOGÉNERO – Pasacalle (r)Evolucionario (Ecogender – (r)Evolutionary Demonstration).
The interventions were realized in collaboration with the social movement Lambda and the CSOA L’Horta in order to stress the vital and enriching importance of biological, sexual and ultural diversity. More information: A les Balconades and link to the video of Ecogender – (r)Evolucionary Demonstration
Ecogender Demo with Papa Balla Ndong & Karina Vagradova, coordinators of “A les Balconades”
IMPURE in LONDON
We had a fabulous time in London (April/May 2017) presenting IMPURE in various events, such as the symposium ‘Power, Subcultures & Queer Stages’ organised by CUNTemporary Arts at Queen Mary University where We presented an overview of the Erreria (House of Bent) projects alongside Daniel Lismore, Jonny Woo and Malik Nashad Sharpe. The keynote lecture was by Dr. Shaun Cole, Associate Dean and Course Director at London College of Fashion. (photos by Loredana Denicola)
We also presented IMPURE at the mitical queer event Club Wotever at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (photos by Orlando Myxx)
and the official booklaunch took place at The Glory with a show by Graham Bell Tornado. (photos 1,2,4 by Juliet Singer and photo 3 by Cristina Polop)
We also had the pleasure of hosting the participatory Nyky Heritage Coronation V as part of “Deep Trash: Royal Trash” event by CUNTemporary Arts at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club and crowning the public with our Trashy-Deluxe crowns specifically designed for the event. (photo by Orlando Myxx)
LA ERRERIA (House of Bent) in LONDON
On Thursday 27th of April we are taking part in the symposium ‘Power, Subcultures & Queer Stages’ organised by CUNTemporary Arts at Queen Mary University which “examines the relationship between sexual identity and style, camp and spectacle, cultural appropriation and genderfuck, live art and activism. Redressing the hierarchy between whatcounts as ‘high’ art and worthy of art historical inclusion, the symposium will be looking at the contemporary history of queer visibility and invisibility in public spaces, as well as current queer live art, club culture and drag performance. Throughout the presentations, we will explore the connections between the performance of sexuality and the performance of style, as well as how communities of affect, dissidence and resistance have been preserved and gained visibility through the creative expressions of those that constitute them.“
We ´ll be presenting our an overview of the Erreria(House of Bent) projects alongside Daniel Lismore, Jonny Woo and Malik Nashad Sharpe. The keynote lecture is by Dr. Shaun Cole, Associate Dean and Course Director at London College of Fashion.
Then on Saturday 29th of April we´ll be hosting a participatory queer Coronation (our Coronation n. 5, more info here about the Coronation Project) at the Deep Trash: Royal Trash event in East London’s Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. Deep Trash is a one night only exhibition-cum-performance-club-night featuring live performances, installations, artworks, visuals and videos.
Finally on Sunday 30th of April we´ll be doing the UK Launch of IMPURE, our high gloss coffee book for intellectuals and their admirers, at The Glory. It will be a fun event, featuring live performance and videos of our recent live actions and gender bending shows. Event info: www.facebook.com/events/1909604355918414/
NASTY WOMEN Exhibition in Cambridge
So glad to be part of the Nasty Women Exhibition in Cambridge. What a fantastic project!!!! £1,600 raised on opening night! More sold at the weekend. All funds raised by the sale of art will go to Cambridge Rape Crisis, Cambridge Women’s Aid and Corona House.
FESTIVAL for EQUALITY at VALENCIA´s UNIVERSITY
On the 30th of March Anna Maria participated with IMPURE in the round table discussion on feminist publications in the Universidad de Valencia as part of the Festival for Equality. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/965031833633206/
PERFORMANCE – INVISIBILIDADES – EASD – School of Art & Design
On the 8th March to celebrate International Women´s Day the EASD School of Art and Design in Valencia, has organised “Invisibilidades. Discurso en torno a la construcción de la identidad femenina” in collaboration with Rosa Sáez. Anna Maria Staiano proposed a participatory street action with her body-pieces and took part in the follow up presentation at the lecture hall of the school. More info: http://www.easdvalencia.com/construyendo-la-identidad-femenina/
EXHIBITION – WOMEN IN WORK – POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY of VALENCIA
Anna Maria is participating in the exhibition “Women in Work” which opens on the 7th of March at the UPV Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. More information: www.upv.es/entidades/ACU/noticia_988868c.html
FILM FESTIVAL – DONA´M CINE – BARCELLONA
The short film “Rompiendo el Techo de Cristal” (Shattering the Glass Ceiling) by Anna Maria Staiano in collaboration with ideadestroyingmuros has been selected in the finalists and it will be shown at the award ceremony of the Dona´m Cine competition on 3rd of March in Barcellona.
Presentations in Barcellona and Bilbao
In february we were on tour with the publication IMPURE, our shorts and performances.
BARCELLONA
Saturday 17 February, 1pm audiovisual presentation in the bookshop La Canibaal, Calle Nàpols, 314. www.lacanibal.net
Sunday 18 February at 9pm with performance and catwalk show with Jennifer Picken, Graham Bell Tornado, Eva Pez, Manu es Manu, Toni Cordero, suprise guests and audience participation in Madame Jasmine, Rambla del Raval, 22. www.facebook.com/madamejasmine
BILBAO in collaboration with the LGTBQ film festivalZinegoak 2017. http://zinegoak.com
Saturday 25 February at 21h screening of short films produced by the Erreria (House of Bent)such as Transexpace, Choose your God/ess (the Reflux), You Have Been Watched y Peepshow en Modesto Calle Barrenkale, 14. www.facebook.com/BarModesto in theZINEGOAK LGTB FILM FESTIVAL.
Sunday 26 february at 12 pm – Participatory performance and opening of the P.I.N.Q. Park Bilbao in Zorrozaurre. More info about the project: www.grahambelltornado.com/projects/pinq-park-
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On 11 February, in Valencia, we took part in the fair of feminist female publishers “No Te Metas con Mi Prima” with the designer of IMPURE Judith Álvarez and the “Zorras Peligrosas” team.
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Presentation and Debate “Art as a tool for Women Empowerment”
Anna Maria participated to the IV Edition of the International Festival Dona i Cinema – Mujer y Cine -Woman & Film with a presentation of her work and a panel discussion about “Art and Design as a tool for women empowerment” which took place in Valencia on 19/01/2017. More info: https://donaicinema.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/dialogos-19-01-11-h-sgae/
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The short film “Rompiendo el Techo de Cristal” (Shattering the Glass Ceiling) by Anna Maria Staiano in collaboration with ideadestroyingmuros has been selected for the competition of shorts made by and about women, Dona´m Cine which runs from Dec 2016 till Feb, 2017. More info: http://www.donamcine.org/edicion2016/es/cortos-a-concurso.
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Events / Exhibitions 2016
Presentation of the work of Anna Maria Staiano and María Trenor, followed by a debate about “Construction of Identity and Violence. The Importance od Designing with a Gendered Perspective” moderated by Rosa Sáez at the EASD School of Art and Design in Valencia, on the 25 noviembre 2016 . More info: http://www.easdvalencia.com/eventos/charla-rosa-saez/
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IMPURE- BOOK
Book presentation “Impure” by Anna Maria Staiano and La Erreria (House of Bent) in the literary festival SINDOKMA , saturday 19 November 2016 at the Ruzafa Gallery in Valencia with the participation of the writers Jose Ramón Alarcón and Jesús García Cívico (Ediciones Canibaal).
On 22nd of October, the work-in-progress English version of the short film “Transexpace” by Anna Maria Staiano was premiered in London at the event “Deep Trash from Outer Space” organised by CUNTemporary Arts which was attended by 600 people. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1136495816444057/
And the work-in-progress Spanish version of “Transexpace” was screened on the 27th of October in the event “Trans-Galactica” in the Intramurs Festival in Valencia. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1201704256563302/
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INTRAMURS 2016We took part in Intramurs with the expo “Trofeos” and the partecipatory action “Pussy Parade” at the gallery “Una Pagina en Blanco”. Mor info: http://www.intramurs.org/intramurs16/obras/trofeos/
Anna Maria´s body extensions and jewellery also were employed in the stage perfromance “Matadero Club” which took place on 21st of October at La Mesón de Morella in Valencia.
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IMPURE – BOOK LAUNCH in Valencia
The book launch of IMPURE took place at teh Octubre Centre for Contemporary Culture on 18th of October with a presentation by Anna Maria Staiano and many collaborators to the project which was followed by a performance. For more information: http://www.octubre.cat/activ_fitxa.php?id_activitat=2649
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Anna Maria Staiano took part in the Biennial Miradas de Mujer and Fem Tour Truck, a travelling festival of feminist video-art, with an audiovisual presentation of IMPURE, on 29th of September in Valencia and in the debate about “Art adn Gender”. More info: https://femtourtruck.wordpress.com/programacion/
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LA SEXPLICITA & VALENCIA SEX FESTIVAL
We are participating in the Sexplicita and the Valencia Sex Festival with a workshop on the 13 and 17 of June 2016 with erotic body pieces from CorpoREacción.
We took part in the Festival Russafart from 27 to 29th of May in Valencia with Impure and the CorpoREacción Collection in colaboration with the artists and photographers: Toni Cordero, Alejandro Sánchez y Ana Wika.
The expo took place in the studio of William James, in Calle Denia 49. It includes video version of the photo-novel Transexpace – Galactic Revolt.and the original version of the CorpoREactive Fashion Show video and photos from the pubblication Impure.
The Corporeacción Fashion Show “Memento Mori: Remembrance and Remains” took place at the opening night party of the Cabanyal Intim Festival, in the Fábrica de Hielo, Valencia on 5th may 2016 with the performers Graham Bell Tornado, Jose Ramón Alarcón, Jennifer Picken, Eva Pez, Liz Dust, Mad Vicious and special appearances by Isabel Caballero and the photographer Toni Cordero.
The show was a modern Vanitas, representing the emptiness of all mortal things and the inevitability of death.
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Fotos/Photos: Lori Land & Merche Medina
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MELTING POINT 2016
The publication IMPURE was presented in IVAM, the Valencian Museum of Modern Art, on Saturday 23 April by Ángela Molina (Curator specialised in New Media Art) in conversation Anna Maria Staiano.
The presentation was preceded by the performance based on the photo-novel “Transexpace – Galactic Revolt” with Ábel Báguena, Graham Bell Tornado, Carolina Boluda, Eva Pez, Jennifer Picken and Isaac Torres.
Anna Maria Staiano also participated in three collective exhibitions on the Melting Point circuit – with Las Chicas del Tabliz in “XX” and “Vicios privados, virtudes públicas” (Private Sins, Public Virtues), and in the exhibition “Las Joyas del Corona“(The Jewels of the Crown) organised by the EASD in the Solar Corona.
Exhibition “Remendar, Ocupar” – Festival Intramurs 2015
Anna Maria presented her Body Bags with corresponding photographs which question the essence and the representation of women in our society. The portraits were taken by the photographers Alejandro Sánchez, Carlos Valencia, Fabrizio Campisi y Toni Cordero; with the performers/models Atthis Bond, Eva Pez, Jennifer Picken, Marga DiCi and Mary Read.
(Spanish Text ) ¿Qué es una mujer? ¿Qué lugar ocupa? Son preguntas que estas tres artistas plantean, generando nuevas miradas y quehaceres artísticos. El trabajo con tejidos, la artesanía y las formas viscerales, orgánicas e irreverentes, son algunas de las características que aúnan su trabajo. Cubrir/descubrir, mostrar/ocultar, son algunos de los juegos semánticos que conversan entre sus obras. Aunque parecidas aportan diferentes puntos de vista y realidades femeninas, cambiando el concepto estereotipado de femineidad y su lugar en el mundo. En el contexto de Intramurs estas artistas quieren remendar un espacio marginado, olvidado y dañado por la indiferencia. La energía femenina, creadora y hacedora de vida, ocupará un espacio y le dotará de vigor. Pues esta energía creadora no reside únicamente en su capacidad de procreación de la especie, sino de parte desde el núcleo más profundo de su útero y abarca toda la existencia, siendo el Arte su mayor expresión. Este proyecto parte desde la intención de la recuperación de un espacio atrayendo al público hacía un lugar desconocido. La performance y el trabajo en espacio-tiempo compartidos son las claves de esta muestra. Alejarse de la exposición pasiva para entrar en el terreno de la vida y el pulsar de un barrio.
On the opening night Anna Maria Staiano presented the interactive performance ¨90-60-90? Life-Size!¨ with the audience participation and the assistence of Elena Smirnova and Dharma Correfoc who constructed pieces based on the body measuraments of female volunteers, A partecipatory action which criticises the cult of the ¨perfect body¨ and the prejudices and stereotypes of female beauty.
Photos of the vernissage by Asún Bonilla.
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Exhibition “En Tránsito”, Cervantes Institute, Munich, 2015
Anna Maria took part in the exhibition “En Tránsito/In Transit”, organised by the EASD at the Cervantes Institute in Munich, during Schmuck, the annual Munich International Jewellery Fair. There were presented her Body Bags which question the essence and the representation of women in our society and a series of photographs from the upcoming publication “Impure”.
Body Bag III snake skin: “Ceci n´est pas une pute. /Thiis is not a Tart” (2015) Exhibition “En Tránsito”, Cervantes Institute, Munich – Photo by Carlos Pastor
The artist jeweller Ramón Puig Cuyás posing with my Body Bag III “Ceci n´est pas une pute”/ “This is not a Tart” (2015). Photo by Silvia Walz at the exhibition “En Tránsito” at the Cervantes Institute, Munich.
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Exhibition at La Rambleta, 2015
The exhibition “Space of Exception” at La Rambleta (Valencia) from 17th February to 1st of March 2015 presents works by the Mexican photographer Carlos Valencia and his photographs of the body extension “Re-Model“. Model: Manuel Garrido Peréz.
Expo at La Rambleta, photographs by Carlos Valencia
Fashion Show at the Botiga dels Joves Joiers, EASD, 2014
In the EASD fashion show on 19th December 2014, my extensions accompanied the eclectic circus dress by Sara Chacón and closed the fashion show with the amazing Victorian lace dress by Fidel David.
con la diseñadora Sara Chacón (a la derecha) y su modelo
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Exhibition “Planet Woman” and performance, at the Festival Intramurs, 2014
The opening of the exhibition in 69 (www.sessantanove.es) was Saturday 8 November at 12pm, with the screening of the video “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” in collaboration with the collective “Ideadestroyingmuros” and followed by a public performance. The body pieces were used in a street procession starting from the venue 69 in which all women were invited to participate as heroines.
Street Performance, Festival Intramurs, Valencia. Photo: Fabrizio Campisi/69 . http://www.sessantanove.es
The street procession arrived to the party organised by the Festival Intramurs, in the Ideo Space. where the public was invited to try on the different body extensions to the sound of DJs and live music.
Photos by Almudena Lopez
In this exhibition, Anna Maria Staiano presented her collection “Planet Woman: Jewels for Heroines” which highlights gender discrimination in the public and private sphere.
Her work is based on the design of body extensions, which explore gender, transformation, interaction and play. These performatic pieces can be used to cause unexpected changes in our sensorial experience and our symbolic imaginary.
The solo exhibition “CorpoREacción” was part of the international contemporary jewellery event Melting Point València. Joieria Contemporània 2014.
“CorpoREacción” is an ironic and surreal interpretation of the body and consists of recent work: outrageous body extensions, un/wearables, and playful performative pieces with a political message which aim to achieve changes in our sensory experience and challenge the gender stereotypes. The pieces embrace and juxtapose opposing elements such as domesticity and sexual unruliness.
The exhibition is divided into various sections: Experiments in Flexible Structures; Remembrance and Remains; Body Politics; Breast Matters; Hairy Pieces; Performance.
Most of the pieces are “ready-made assisted,” made out of everyday household objects, sponges and hair rollers combined with textiles, dolls eyes and human hair.
The exhibition included photographs by Toni Cordero in collaboration with the artists Jennifer Picken and Graham Bell Tornado.
Some of the pieces were only presented in photographic format and others were only to be seen in performance, since it didn´t make sense to display them without the body and /or the action that accompanies them. For this reason the exhibition was complemented by two special events:
– On the 10th of May the missing pieces of the collection were shown in action in the “Performance: CorpoREactive Show”. The show was full of surprises and counted with the special participation of MC Msieur Demodé (Doctor in Pataphysics), Jennifer Picken (Face of the Year of CorpoREacción), Graham Bell Tornado (B-Side of C.RE.A/Shaman Travestí), Eva Pez (Aphrodite Shibarita) and Rampova Kabaret (Performer Anar-Queer).
Performance: Pasarela CorpoREactiva / Live CorpoREactive Show
The show culminated with the presentation of the Tableau Vivant “Dynasty” in the contiguous exhibition space. The full version and a trailer of the “Live CorpoREactive Show” were produced by Ana Wika.
Pasarela CorpoREactiva: Tableau Vivant – Dynasty
On the 17th of May, the writer and performer José Ramón Alarcón carried out an interactive presentation of the Video of the CorpoREactive Show.
Presentación Video – José Ramón Alarcón
Spin-off collaborative projects with the “CorpoREacción” pieces include the mixed-media publication “Impure” and the sci-fi photo-novel “Transexpace” to be released in 2016.
Exhibition “Ars Longa Vita Brevis”, at Melting Point, 2014
Cartel: Myriam Moreno; Foto: Ideadestoyingmuros
Cartel: Myriam Moreno; Foto: Ideadestoyingmuros
I took part in the international contemporary jewellery event Melting Point València. Joieria Contemporània 2014, with two exhibitions.
A solo exhibition “CorpoREacción” at Le Petit Canibaal and the group exhibition “Ars longa, Vita brevis” which took place from 5th to 10th of May at the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Calle Cadirers 5, Valencia. Vernissage with piano concert by Lucas Carbonell: Friday 9 May, 11:00 am. In “Ars longa, Vita brevis” I presented the collection “Planet Woman: Jewels for Heroines” featuring body extensions which highlight gender discrimination in the public and private sphere as well as the video “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” made in collaboration with the collective Ideadestroyingmuros. During the exhibition, the public has been invited to try on the “Planet Woman” body extensions.
At last the big day arrived, the public lecture and presentation of the Final Degree Project at the EASD, the Superior Art & Design School in Valencia, April 2013.
Exhibition “Conspiración”, Cervantes Institute, Munich, 2013
My collection “Planet Woman: Jewels for Heroines” was featured in the group exhibition “Conspiración” at the Cervantes Institute in Munich in March 2013 alongside the video “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” produced in collaboration with the transfeminist art collective Ideadestoyingmuros.
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