Armed Forces is a creation and “drag”aturgical experimentation project of a performative Drag King triptych consisting of the following fronts: “War Requiem” (Army), “Querelle” (Navy) and “Smoke Squadron” (Air Force). All fronts investigate the values of an ideal of masculinity established in the 20th century through wars and mass enlistment which endure today in a pendulous manner and is about to give way due to its fragility. Is the body of a young boy belligerent in itself or has history built a shell around him? How are belligerent types of manhood constructed and deconstructed? “War Requiem” takes the poems written by soldiers at the front during World War I as a departure point to portray a project of implementing a dehumanizing virility. “Querelle” searches the hegemonic male body in conflict with their desires in the work of Jean Genet and in the fetishized world of the sailors. “Smoke Squadron”, in its turn, dives into caricature to draw parallels between the demonstration of virility and the purely performative war demonstration. Using cabaret language and the poetics of the Drag King body, we seek new experiences with cross-dressing art – which in its disruptive power can embrace open wounds of society while also bringing balm through laughter, seduction and dazzle.

Sept 22 | 8PM (GMT -3)
Click here to watch the Floating Talks with artists (in Portuguese)

RESEARCH TEAM

Giovana Lago, Julia Gasparoto e Rubia Romani

Artistic Facilitation Jorge Alencar e Neto Machado

Videomaker and editing Kenji

Support Casa Hoffmann

Photography Mônica Lachman

Acknowledgements Rafael Jubainski, Juana Profunda, Felipe da Silva Graciano, Casa Quatro Ventos, Gabriela Coiradas, Fabi Melatte, Isabel Linhares.