Les Salonnières and Dr. Soley
Nobody Knows I’m a Feminist

The artist collective Les Salonnières from Barcelona consists of Laura Cardona, Ester g. Mecías, Cèlia Prats, Meritxell Romanos and Marta Xibillé. They studied art at the University of Barcelona and went on to acquire degrees in art therapy, art education, graphic design, modern dance and choreography. They develop artistic and art educational projects in which they explore models of masculinity and femininity. They strive for audience interaction in their performances, which are often held in art institutions and in the public realm. They have collaborated with institutions such as the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León and other artists such as Chicks on Speed (see CHI 1–2) and Anat Ben-David (see BEN 1). They are currently working on the multi-disciplinary, long-term art project El Ritual. MM

artists' website: www.lessalonnieres.net

This performance was created by the sociologist Patricia Soley-Beltrán, alias Dr. Soley, who performed it together with the artist collective Les Salonnières (Ester g. Mecías, Cèlia Prats and Meritxell Romanos). In groups of up to four women, the performers walk through the city centre of Barcelona, wearing raincoats and sun glasses. They seem mysterious and somewhat suspicious. Suddenly, they open their coats like exhibitionists to show the passers-by their T-shirts with the slogan: “Nobody Knows I’m a Feminist”. Serious but also humorously self-ironic, they present their political views through a version of male exhibitionism.

Courtesy Les Salonnières

Format
video, colour, sound, 2:30 min

Issue date
2013

Tags
collectivity, femininity, laughter/humorous, participation, pleasure, ritual