"Courotrophe"
Despina Zacharopoulou "Courotrophe", performance for the camera, duration: 11’04’’, 2023
Curated by Francesco Kiais (G.A.P. - Gathering Around Performance), DigiLabAir, PAV, Venice Performance Art Week 2023.
Available on demand: https://performanceartvideo.org/videos/courotrophe/
Shown at the Venice Performance Art Week 2023: https://veniceperformanceart.org/the-art-week/digilabair-2023
DESCRIPTION
A performance for the camera exploring the theme of ‘Body and Citizenship’ and how the maternal body might operate as a site for this passage from Nature’s world of violence and wilderness to the world of the polis and its language brought by theatrical and philosophical discourse. The video has as its starting point the passage to citizenship concerning the birth and use of language. Accordingly, the performance’s title stems from one of the roles of Artemis in Ancient Greece: Kourotrophos (Greek: Κουροτρόφος, “child nurturer”) and Lochia (Greek: Λοχία, “belonging to childbirth”). Artemis was responsible for the delivery and upbringing of children from childhood to adulthood and civil life.
CREDITS
Concept and Performance: Despina Zacharopoulou.Text: “The Night Song” by Friedrich Nietzsche, transl. to English by R.J. Hollingdale, transl. to Greek by D. Zacharopoulou. Lights: Giannis Karounis. Also featuring: baby Nikolaos-Zacharias Karounis.
© Despina Zacharopoulou
