On the occasion of Malin Arnell’s 30 % research seminar (2012) at Weld in Stockholm we are given the opportunity to follow, to participate in the investigation and dialogue that Arnell has created with the French-Italian artist Gina Pane (1939-1990), especially focusing on Pane’s action Discours mou et mat, realized in 1975.
Her conversation partner for the evening is Wencke Fugelli Mühleisen, Professor at the NETTVERK FOR KJOENNS-FORSKNING in the Department of Media, Culture and Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Stavanger. Also invited are Clara López Menéndez and Imri Sandström, fellow art workers who have been part of Arnell’s research process.
In May 2011 Arnell re-enacted Gina Pane's 1975 action, Discours mou et mat, in what came to be called Reflect Soft Matte Discourse (2011). After the emotionally charged reaction provided by both audience and collaborators, Arnell decided to investigate into their experiences and asked 20 participants to answer six particular questions about the situation, as well as to share their feelings about that evening. The texts that Sandström and López wrote for this occasion later became part of the following performative reflection, Rehearsal after Reflect Soft Matte Discourse #1 (2011) #2 (2012). Some fragments of these texts will be read while presenting this performance, which was done in Copenhagen (2011) and Glasgow (2012).
Reflect Soft Matte Discourse (2011) and Rehearsal after Reflect Soft Matte Discourse #1 (2011) #2 (2012) are different phases of an on-going process in which subjects such as history, documentation, corporeal language, epistemology and solidarity are explored from an artistic and feminist point of view and methodology. The discussion is wished to be articulated around a documentation text composed by Arnell, as well as other representations of Pane and Arnell's inter-historical exchange that questions different aspects of performance art documentation and the authority of historical narratives.