Abstract
This hybrid paper/performance brings to life diverse intersections within the marketplace – where life unfolds. Focused specifically on Marionetas Gigantes de Moçambique (MGM), I present how this organization functions as a didactic and innovative performative mechanism that reveals the multifaceted layers of life in post post-colonial Africa. MGM functions similarly to the model whereas “actors come to the performances with a basic understanding of the interplay between tradition and innovation, between unity and rivalry, and between old and new” (Arnoldi 1988: 82). Based in Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo, MGM is comprised of gigantes y cabezudos (Giants and Big-Heads), as well as musicians. Inspired by Les Grandes Personnes (France), Boromo (Burkina Faso), and The Giant Match Association (South Africa), initially 40 some artists converged in an artistic residency in 2011. Since 2012 MGM have performed in Marracuene, Inhambane, and the energetic marketplace of Xipamanene in Mozambique, as well as Swaziland (Bushfire), Brazil, and Japan. Characters presented by Marionetas Gigantes de Moçambique (MGM) include familiar denizens of the market – the rich man, the poor man, the policeman, and the healer. The Policeman will join me to share his experiences with the organization, as well as demonstrate specific aspects of his choreography within MGM routines. Sited and performed in marketplaces where daily intersections occur, MGM celebrates the diversity and reality of the everyday, showcasing the function and dysfunction of life.
Presenters
Amy SchwartzottCurator of University Galleries and Associate Professor of Art History, Visual and Performing Arts, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Art and social commentary, Social justice and performative arts
Digital Media
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