1/1

Diogo Lima Teixeira, when the chips are down

master beeldende kunsten - autonome vormgeving

A body technique descending from biblical writings, a man on trial in Israel in 1961 and the beating of a transsexual in Brazil earlier this year. When do these stories relate?

Part 1: the execution of a body technique

Onan spilled his semen on the ground when he went into his brother’s wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. (Genesis 38:9)

Part 2: A thinker ironically considers the judgment of a fool.

I: I know. I read the book. But some of the criticism is based on the tone in which some passages are written.

H: That’s another matter. About this I can’t say anything. And I don’t want to. If people think you can only write about these things in a tone filled with pathos… Let’s put it differently. I don’t want to get angry.

I: Does it make you angry?

H: No, what’s the point. Some people take it amiss… I can understand that to some extent… that I can still laugh, for example. But I really thought Eichmann was a fool. And I say… I read a transcript of his police hearing. 3600 pages in all, I read it very carefully. I laughed countless times. I laughed out loud. People were offended by this. I can’t do anything about that. But I know one thing. I’d probably still laugh 3 minutes before certain death. That, they say, is the tone of my book. That the tone is predominantly ironic is true, of course. That’s completely true. The tone is really the person. When people reproach me with accusing the Jewish people, that is a malignant lie and propaganda. And nothing else. The tone is an objection against me personally. I can’t help that.

I: You’re prepared to bear that?

H: Yes, willingly. So to say. What else can I do? I can’t say, I’m misunderstood. I feel this or that in my heart. That’s ridiculous!

 (Hannah Arendt in conversation with Gunter Gaus)

 

Part 3: finally, we can be entertained while watching atrocities on YouTube.

Offender 1: Climb it! Climb it! (while pointing to the wheelbarrow) You will not climb, right? (while crossing his arms on his back) You will not climb, right?

Dandara: I will. I will… (while offender 2 kicks Dandara on the back)

(Cameraman laughs)

(Offender 1 hits Dandara’s head twice with his flip-flop. Afterwards he straightens the wheelbarrow that had been turned over when Dandara had tried unsuccessfully to climb it)

(Offender 2 kicks Dandara’s left arm)

Offender 1: Come on, flashy faggot! Climb on this shit, dirty ass! (while hitting Dandara’s head two more times with his flip-flop) You’re not listening to me, are you? Go up there, bro!

Offender 3: Place the wheelbarrow in front of him. Right here! Go up there now… we are in a hurry…  so the guy over there can drive you to the next place. Come on, you fuck!

Dandara: Where am I going?

Offender 3: Wherever you wanna go. Go, go, go!

Cameraman: Hurry up now! Climb it!

Offender 3: You’re messing up with the “favela”, You faggot!

Cameraman: This filthy thing is even wearing panties and everything.

(Offender 3, furiously, kicks Dandara’s face)

(Dandara faints)

(Offender 4 takes advantage of the fact that Dandara is fainted on the ground to once more kick her in the face. In a second attempt to step on the face, he scrapes his foot on the head of the unconscious transvestite.)

(Dandara tries to stand up)

(Offender 5 hits Dandara by the back three times in sequence using a big large piece of clapboard)

Dandara: Ouch! Ouch!

(Offender 4 runs from far in the direction of Dandara, jumps over her head in an unsuccessfully attempt of kicking one more time the head. Finally, he hits violently the head of the transvestite with a stick and kicks her head)

Offender 1: We must put him here inside (referring to the wheelbarrow) so we can spank him. (while parking the wheelbarrow on the side of the bloody body of Dandara)

(Offenders 1, 3, 4, 5 thrown Dandara into the wheelbarrow while offender 2 prepares to hit Dandara in the belly with a large piece of clapboard one last time)

(Offender 1 pushes the wheelbarrow down the street followed by the other four offenders)

Cameraman: They will kill this faggot… (laughing)

 

(Transcription of the events and speeches recorded in the video DENÚNCIA! TRAVESTI DANDARA ASSASSINADA A SOCOS E PAULADAS EM FORTALEZA)

 

Credits

concept – Diogo Bo

dramaturgy – Veridiana Zurita and Diogo Bo

performance – Veridiana Zurita and Diogo Bo

Thanks to – Helena De Preester, Hans Bryssinck, Heike Langsdorf and Pascal Poissonnier

 

Mentoren / Mentors
Bryssinck, Hans Langsdorf, Heike