562

562

Exactly ten years ago, in the summer of 2014, MU opened its doors wide for GENDERBLENDER, an exhibition focused on gender diversity. Fleur Pierets and her wife Julian, the driving forces behind the magazine Et Alors?, were responsible for the accompanying publication. Shortly after, they began 22 – The Project, a performative relay where they aimed to marry in every country that allows same-sex marriage. After four ceremonies, including one in the Netherlands, the project came to an end with Julian’s death. This fall, writer, artist, and activist Fleur Pierets returns to MU with 562, her first video performance since 22 – The Project. 562 is a collection of the 562 questions she has been asked over the years as a lesbian woman. Questions ranging from “Are you sure?” and “How can your parents still be proud of you?” to “You know you're going to hell, right?”. Seated in a chair, sometimes live and sometimes in a recorded version, Pierets reflects these questions back. 562 serves as a mirror, confronting visitors with their own, perhaps rigid, ideologies and assumptions. Fascinated by identity and community, Pierets asks how much of your character is inherent, how much is shaped by your environment, and how all of this influences your view of the world. In all her work, she tries to capture the current era and examine how it functions in terms of equal rights. By observing and documenting, 562 shows how the world changes, evolves, and sometimes regresses. The ultimate question posed by the performance is: Can knowledge and information reshape and redefine external boundaries, allowing us to break through normative constructs?

Live performances by Fleur Pierets on selected days

562 is a video installation on display daily from 11:00 - 18:00 at MU. On selected days, Fleur Pierets will also give live performances: Saturday, October 19 | 14:00 - 17:00 Sunday, October 20 | 14:00 - 17:00 Friday, October 25 | 14:00 - 17:00 Saturday, October 26 | 14:00 - 17:00 Sunday, October 27 | 14:00 - 17:00