The Borders

The borders was enacted in Lome, Togo in front the Saint Joseph Catholic Church/School.

The collaborative performance brings together the two parties' experiences of stereotypical identity of human existence (black/white) to explore gender and racial borders that have been created by the society. Borders represent the problem because they establish supremacy or inferiority complexes.

 

The two performers, painted in clay and black engine oil, chained themselves and sat as street beggars in front of Saint Joseph College, where the usual disables plead for money; religious/sociopolitical violence against the voiceless/less privileged citizens of the earth and cultural discrimination are here also questioned.

 

Furthermore, the performance reverses the beggars´status roles: the performers beg audience to pick from their bowls the texts below, which were written in both Ewe and French.

 

 

Love your neighbour, not your friend

Kill no human

Speak no evil

                     Think no evil

Judge no evil

Being human is enough identity

If you don't give life, take no life

Injustice

Discrimination

                      Violence

 

Tolerance