Performance: Belle Santos ABANICAR (2026)

ABANICAR (2026)
 

From the imperial court to the ballroom, theabanicois far more than just an object used for cooling off. It is a shield, a weapon, and a hidden language all at once.

In this minimalist solo performance, Belle Santos explores the cultural significance of the folding fan. Originally developed in Japan in the 7th century and inspired by the anatomy of bat wings, the fan has, over time, become an architectural extension of the body. The performance conceives of the fan not as a prop, but as a site of political negotiation: from an instrument of rigid gender roles and elitist class hierarchies in the 18th century, through a secret language of desire, to its contemporary appropriation as a loud, haptic symbol of queer visibility and somatic protest.

Every gesture reveals what is hidden within the folds. Every sharp unfolding is an act of resistance.

About the Artist

Belle Santoslives and works in Berlin (DE). In her installations, performances, and set and costume designs, she explores grief, violence, class relations, girlhood, and trauma. Shaped by her many years of experience as a set and costume designer for film, opera, and theater, her artistic practice combines spatial staging with performative elements. Santos was a fellow of the Saison Foundation in Tokyo (JP) and received residency grants from Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto (JP) and the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (FR). Her most recent works include the performance*MORNING TIME*, presented at venues such as the Sophiensælen in Berlin and the Kyoto Art Center (JP), as well as*MATADORA*, shown at the Pogo Bar at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Berlin, DE).