The Embodiment of Violence in Performance Art: Regina José Galindo

My investigation explores Regina José Galindo's early work Lo voy a gritar al viento (I will scream it at the wind) and El Dolor en un Pañuelo (The Pain in a Handkerchief), as well as her performance for the 51st Venice Biennial Golpes (Blows). Galindo's performances have often been examined through her physical enactment of violence. Though the corporeal notion of violence plays a fundamental role, it becomes a starting point in understanding how Galindo re-creates violence. Her different uses of violence engage in a dialogue that illuminates the ambiguities in her performances. Galindo reflects upon themes of violence by aggressively intervening into the artistic space. The aggressive actions in her performances force viewers to directly interact with the work as bystanders and become witnesses to violence. By creating disruptive confrontations, Galindo empowers viewers to question the implications of violence and the role each of them play in that experience.