WESTERN FRONT – Showing by Bhenji Ra and Tati au Miel

Western Front is pleased to present a showing of a performance in development by Bhenji Ra and Tati au Miel. Taking shape while in residence, the performance accompanies the presentation of Ra’s new moving image commission Biraddali Dancing on the Horizon, which features an original score by au Miel.

The work-in-progress invites audiences to collaborate in the making of a sonic environment where ritual, attention, and play coalesce.

A person wearing a red balaclava, red gloves, and a distressed grey bodysuit stands with their hands resting over their chest and stomach. Behind them, another person in a similar red face covering sits cross legged on the floor in front of an open laptop. Bunches of orange flowers and other objects are strewn on the floor.

About the Artists

Bhenji Ra is an Australian-Filipina artist based on Gadigal land, Eora Nation who works at the intersections of dance, video, and community activation. Rooted in trans feminist, intergenerational practice, her work engages with invisible social narratives of both trauma and rejuvenation, offering possibilities to decolonize community and reinvent becoming. Guided by her ancestral and queer genealogies, she weaves ritual and collective action with the intimacies of her personhood. Her assemblage of myth, archive, and pedagogy, especially in non-western choreography, results in collaborative and relational performances that develop languages of movement to connect vocabularies of gender with past and present imperial realities.

Tati au Miel, also known as Tania Daniel, is an artist born and raised in Montréal, Canada to Haitian immigrant parents. Their practice expands into various mediums to create ritualistic live performances, experimental sound pieces, and sculptural installations exploring the themes of freedom, spirituality, storytelling, surrealism, and beyond.

Accessibility

The Grand Luxe Hall is located on the second floor of Western Front, which is accessed by a flight of 26 stairs. Further details about accessibility at Western Front can be found here.

What to expect: The beginning of the event will take place outdoors, with movement between Western Front and Guelph Park. The portion of the showing in the Grand Luxe Hall will take place under low lighting. Seating will include a mix of floor cushions and chairs. Earplugs are available if required.

Acknowledgements

Presented with the support of the Government of Canada and SOCAN Foundation.

Tati au Miel and Bhenji Ra. Photo by Lilly Cotter.

Tati au Miel and Bhenji Ra. Photo by Lilly Cotter.
Tati au Miel and Bhenji Ra. Photo by Lilly Cotter.

Tati au Miel and Bhenji Ra. Photo by Lilly Cotter.

Western Front is a non-profit
artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.