Magical Theys
Magical Theys, 2024
Performance
This project is being developed within the framework of Sala d’Art Jove 2024 with the accompaniment of Guillem Jiménez (laSADCUM). Support by: L’Estruch Fábrica de Creació, Sabadell.
Costume by: Noina Espinos
Magical Theys is a project about non-binary gender through magical fictions, inspired by Magical Girls anime. The intention is to reimagine the archetype of "the knight" and heroic figures as a queer imagined speculation. To achieve this, I will activate transparent, ornate, vulnerable, flexible, fragile, hybrid armors that, through Drag king practices and fencing choreographies, will shape deviant corporealities that go beyond binaries.
The project uses the genres of Magical Girl and Shōjo manga and anime as a case study. In these genres, many stories challenge traditional gender roles and highlight vulnerability as a revolutionary force. Examples include The Rose of Versailles (1972), Sailor Moon (1992), Princess Knight (1953), and Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997). These stories often feature special outfits that appear magically during a ritualized transformation called Henshin. This act of transformation, connected to clothing, is a powerful way to construct identity and create new, non-conforming images and bodies. I also explore historical references to women-knights, non-binary identities and cross-dressing practices, linking them to contemporary examples. One such reference is a 15th-century Castilian romance called La Doncella Guerrera.
The performance is structured as a Henshin in itself. This extended transformation unfolds in various phases, exploring masculine and femme performativities and everything that lies in between. Magical Theys will feature prosthetic armor crafted from transparent thermosensitive plastics, bioplastics, fresh flowers, and glass. It is an exercise to explore the queerness of ornament. These armors will not serve to shield vulnerability but rather to celebrate it, acting as aesthetic coverings that embody a fantastic non-binaryism: extravagant and fragile armors devoid of protection at the heart.
Stills from a video by: Pablo ReleaseYourInnerChild