Constellations: For My Race, My Wounds Will...
2023

In the annals of ancient Mexica tradition lies a ritual involving the voluntary sacrifice of an individual. In this ceremony, the person willingly surrenders their very skin, a symbol of their identity and humanity. The removed skin is then passed on to a revered "priest" who ascends a pyramid adorned with layers of such skins.

 

Here, amidst this tapestry, the priest embarks on a relentless prayer to the gods, a prayer that lasts for days on end. This fervent act ultimately leads to the adhering of the sacrificed skin onto the priest's own body, an excruciating process that culminates in dehydration and, inevitably, death. This chilling ritual holds the origin of the renowned Mexican saying, "Ponte en mi pellejo'' (put yourself in my skin)– a phrase not born of empathy but rather steeped in the desire for one to immerse themselves in an entirely foreign context. Drawing upon this ancient reference, Alejandro Rodriguez and I embark on a journey of shedding our skin and sharing it with you.

 

"Constellations" is a 45 minute political performance work in progress that uses absurdism and illogical narrative to understand the term "Mexican" and pinpoint the origin of "our" race. We embark on a musical journey of cumbia rebajadas that ask you:

 

Do you treat the history of your skin with irony? 

Have you ever thought of your moles as stars that carry the energy of an inherited past?

How do you give the stories that live in your genes a shape, sound, and color?

 

Ultimatelty we tell stories of love, revolution and trade in a Mexico marked by racism and colonization.

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View Full Performance as workshopped at the Black Circle Stage in Holstebro Denmark

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View Full Performance as presented at the ACUD Theatre in Berlin, Germany.