Suzanne Lacy: de tu puño y letra, diálogos en el ruedo

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Plaza Belmonte is the site of a new performance under the artistic direction of Suzanne Lacy, in collaboration with a number of institutions, organizations, social groups and universities in Quito, Ecuador. De tu puño y letra, diálogos en el ruedo is presented by the Fundación Museos de la Ciudad and the Secretaria de Cultura through the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Quito.

Over a year in the making, the project builds on the earlier South American campaign, Carta de Mujeres (Women’s Letters), in which 10,000 Ecuadorian women wrote testimonials on their experiences of violence. Lacy has worked with international artists, educators, feminist groups and the LGBTI community in Quito to discuss constructions of masculinity and eradicating gender violence. A men-only, public educational program has been developed as part of the project and is being adopted as curriculum by partners like the medical school from the Universidad de las Américas. 

On November 25, De tu puño y letra, diálogos en el ruedo (In My Own Hand), produced by Oderay Game, features hundreds of diverse men in a still-functioning bullring, who will read from 600 original letters. The script, written by Gabriela Ponce, takes us through the different stages of the violence cycle in the authentic words of Ecuadorian women. The soundtrack, composed by Bruno Louchouarn, will feature pre-recorded and live musicians scattered throughout the arena. The audience will have an active role in the conversation up to and after the performance, creating an engagement of hundreds of people in this one-time live event. Like many of Lacy’s works, this production includes large-scale community organizing, extensive aesthetic collaborations, and support for the ongoing work of local collectives and civic institutions.

Suzanne Lacy
A Los Angeles-based artist, Lacy is internationally renowned as a pioneer in the field of socially engaged and public art. Her installations, videos, and performances have dealt with issues such as sexual violence, rural and urban poverty, incarceration, gender identity, labor, and aging. Working collaboratively and in the model of a community organizer, Lacy has realized large-scale projects in London, Brooklyn, Medellin, Los Angeles and Madrid. Lacy is founder and chair of the MFA Public Practice Program at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.  

About the Center for Contemporary Art in Quito
The Centre for Contemporary Art in Quito (CAC) was established in 2010 as a space for generating knowledge through contemporary artistic practices. It fosters new ways to exercise political and citizen participation, and validates the aesthetic and emotional dimension in the construction of new imagery and new citizen subjectivities.

Supporters
Project support is provided by Municipality of Quito and The Secretary of Culture. Other partners include the US Embassy in Ecuador, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), The Diners Club, The Creative Artists Residency at Bellagio, A Blade of Grass Fellowship for Socially Engaged Art, Creative Time’s Global Residency Program funded by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Universidad de las Américas, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and ForYourArt.