AS* PAPANGUS Street Performance in Berlin

AS* PAPANGUS is a carnival for, by and with women* that does not objectify the marginalized body.

In AS* PAPANGUS, the Afro-Brazilian artist Bruna Amaro performs a carnival in its most queer-feminist and decolonial form with more than 50 women* in São Paulo and Berlin. In this participatory project, the foundations for the following actions, in which the artist and the participants jointly developed movements and statements for their street performance. Phrases manifesting experiences of survival, transformation and labor, are embroidered on the costumes handmade by Bruna Amaro and the seamstress Eliana Amaro dos Santos.

The costumes from São Paulo will be brought to life by 10 women* in Berlin by participating in a two-day workshop and the subsequent street performance on Saturday May 7th in the neighborhood around the Oyoun. They walk through the streets of Neukölln in the Papangu dresses, with the statements on their chests, supported by handmade props, and dance to the festive music. By letting their bodies speak, the bodies become flags of triumph. The procession invites other FLINTA people to join the walk.

AS* PAPANGUS critically engages with the colonial matrix of carnival, remaining vigilant to oppressive stares and prohibiting the exploitation of queer bodies, bodies of women*, of color, with disabilities and bodies subjected to structural oppression. Papangu women* don't take to the streets to be consumed: they take to the streets to celebrate themselves.

AS* PAPANGUS opens the first chapter of Oyoun's curatorial focus Mightier than a Trampled Flower (Mightier than a Trampled Flower), which focuses on the lives of women* at war from a decolonial context and deconstructs the canonical narratives of women* at war. You can find more information about the project here.

Performers: Pamela Bassi, Natalia Aly, Mizgina Rengin, Mayara Teston Barrios, Katia Akemi, Jarita Freydank, Jahia, Fatima Ismayilova

All events in the AS*PAPANGUS series can be found here.

AS* PAPANGUS is funded by the Goethe-Institut São Paulo.

◥ In Oyoun there is no place for sexism, queer hostility, transphobia, any form of racism or discrimination such as anti-black, anti-Muslim racism or anti-Semitism. The same applies to any kind of violent, aggressive or abusive behavior. Oyoun offers a safe space for everyone, an open forum for dialogue and a place where we support and stand up for one another. If someone or something is bothering you during an event, please contact a member of our staff who is there to help! If you have an experience to share with us after an event, please write to us an email or send us an anonymous message via  our website.