Book presentation by Dora García & Magazine launch: Girls Like Us #14

Book launch Inserts in Real Time. Dora García, Performance Work 2000–2023

Inserts in Real Time is the first monograph dedicated to the performance work of the artist Dora García from the past twenty years. At the heart of this book is a Chronology of all García’s performances to date—listed, illustrated, described, and contextualized. This body of work is framed by three newly commissioned texts—by art historian Sven Lütticken, performance theorist Bojana Cvejić, and Dora García herself, as well as new a conversation between the artist and curator Joanna Zielińska. An Appendix of Selected Scripts makes this archive an especially vivid relay of her decades of public experimentation, provocation, and activation.

The publication accompanies Dora García’s exhibition She Has Many Names. Both the exhibition and publication provide unique if distinct overviews of the artist’s performance-based works and gestures, as well as new political, feminist, and queer readings of various artworks.

The launch will be introduced by Joanna Zielińska and Dora García. The artist will be signing books during the launch. The book is for sale in our museum shop at the price of 29 euros.

Launching of the magazine Girls Like Us #14 – LETTERS OF DISAPPOINTMENT

Editorial team: Pelumi Adejumo, Persis Bekkering, Dagmar Bosma, Dora García, Jessica Gysel, Sara Kaaman, Katja Mater & Yin Yin Wong

The feeling of disappointment is not only close to regret, sadness, and dissatisfaction – a feeling of loss, an uncomfortable space (or a painful gap) between expectations and reality – we also understand it as a rattling in the rusty machinery of a society whose fuel is extraction and oppression.

Considered an ‘ugly feeling’ by society’s norm, we’re not supposed to vocalize what and who is letting us down. We’re supposed to stay positive, get organized and act, instead of lingering in negative emotions. We’re supposed to be productive. But making space for disappointment can be a strategy of dissensus. Instead of wallowing in impotence, to make explicit what is not meeting expectations for this world can be an act of renouncing and making cracks in the status quo, while not giving up allegiance that another world is possible.

Here, for you: a gift of 33 letters, bound together through their flavours of disappointment.

The book, the magazine issue and T-shirts are for sale in our museum shop.