self un / contained: nora chipaumire

April 28, 2016

Members joined choreographer and performer nora chipaumire for a lecture-demonstration in connection with her most recent performance portrait of myself as my father, premiering at Peak Performances on April 14th. Both super heroes and anti-heroes, the black African father contains a multitude of struggles: against colonialism, capitalism, Africanism, masculinity, family, and tradition. By confronting and celebrating this sacrificial body, chipaumire reframes how status and power are experienced and presented. Born in Mutare, Zimbabwe and currently New York-based, chipaumire has been challenging stereotypes of Africa and the black performing body, art, and aesthetic for the past decade. Image credit: Antoine Tempe.