The Rapist on your Path
Collectivo LASTESIS
(2020)
With public activism at the forefront of Colectivo LASTESIS's work, their videos displaying groups of women protesting in choreographed formation went viral on social media. In their piece for the exhibition, 'el violador eres tú _ or known also as “The Rapist on Your Path”' (2020), the collective confronts the worldwide issue of rape, femicide, and domestic violence through a performance filmed at home during Covid-19 lockdowns. With violence against women exacerbated by the isolation of the pandemic, the work delivers shocking facts about rape cases in their native Chile while tapping into a global problem. Much like Chile, domestic violence rates soared as women were isolated with their at-home abusers; with fewer means of social connection, support and outreach.
Last years The Netherlands has been shaken by rape cases, connected to the Art World and art institutions. It resulted in demand for changes mostly coming from the younger generation. This violence is not limited to the domestic; it is seen in regressive policy, lower wages and poorer economic opportunity. Borrowing from writer Rita Laura Segato they propose that rape is a disciplinary act, a crime of power. Using repetitive techno beats, we are immersed and engaged with their powerful speech directed at the patriarchy – as if by dancing we can better incorporate these truths into our body, Colectivo LASTESIS demonstrates dance culture's empowering energy – exposing these woefully ignored facts and statistics.