They Sing, They Dance, They Fight is a multi-channel video installation–made up of a trio of musical films, each of which, is constituted of many video clips–presented in an environment that with neon lights and music recreates the festive atmosphere of a club.

In a context in which women are being killed worldwide, They Sing, They Dance, They Fight, revolves around what Tejada-Herrera has called “the aesthetics of the politics of empowerment.” Thus, the artist uses beauty, the glamorous and the absurd as tools to generate narratives that redefine the notions of female physical and social strength, offering alternatives to the roles assigned to women in the framework of a patriarchal capitalist society.

The first video of the series alternates scenes in which a woman “scissor dancer”–Peruvian vernacular dance normally reserved for men–demonstrates her skills, with images of a group of cis-women and girls training to fight. In the second video, the artist created animations on clips displaying more trainings. For these trainings, more cis-women and trans-women memorized the self-defence techniques and documented themselves practicing from their private spaces during the coronavirus global health crisis. A trans-woman embodies the palla corongo, a typical female character of Peruvian folklore. Immediately after, an elderly mermaid, and a trans woman mermaid sing well known songs, of diverse musical genres, which metaphorically refer to social struggles. The artist changed the pronouns in the lyrics from male to feminine and non-binary pronouns.

They Sing, They Dance, They Fight presents different groups of women who, unapologetically, perform alternative constructions of femininity. Without a doubt, a celebration of girls, trans-women and cis-women of all ages; as well as sorority, love and strength.

‘The Girls Learn to Fight 1 ’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
5 minutes 30 seconds, Edition of 3 + 2AP

‘The Girls Learn to Fight 2’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
1 minute 25 seconds, Edition of 3 + 2AP

‘The Singing Mermaids’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
9 minutes, Edition of 3 + 2AP

They Sing, They Dance, They Fight is a multi-channel video installation–made up of a trio of musical films, each of which, is constituted of many video clips–presented in an environment that with neon lights and music recreates the festive atmosphere of a club.

In a context in which women are being killed worldwide, They Sing, They Dance, They Fight, revolves around what Tejada-Herrera has called “the aesthetics of the politics of empowerment.” Thus, the artist uses beauty, the glamorous and the absurd as tools to generate narratives that redefine the notions of female physical and social strength, offering alternatives to the roles assigned to women in the framework of a patriarchal capitalist society.

The first video of the series alternates scenes in which a woman “scissor dancer”–Peruvian vernacular dance normally reserved for men–demonstrates her skills, with images of a group of cis-women and girls training to fight. In the second video, the artist created animations on clips displaying more trainings. For these trainings, more cis-women and trans-women memorized the self-defence techniques and documented themselves practicing from their private spaces during the coronavirus global health crisis. A trans-woman embodies the palla corongo, a typical female character of Peruvian folklore. Immediately after, an elderly mermaid, and a trans woman mermaid sing well known songs, of diverse musical genres, which metaphorically refer to social struggles. The artist changed the pronouns in the lyrics from male to feminine and non-binary pronouns.

They Sing, They Dance, They Fight presents different groups of women who, unapologetically, perform alternative constructions of femininity. Without a doubt, a celebration of girls, trans-women and cis-women of all ages; as well as sorority, love and strength.

‘The Girls Learn to Fight 1 ’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
5 minutes 30 seconds, Edition of 3 + 2AP

‘The Girls Learn to Fight 2’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
1 minute 25 seconds, Edition of 3 + 2AP

‘The Singing Mermaids’
2020, 3-channels video, colour, sound
9 minutes, Edition of 3 + 2AP