Afghan Hound

A girl raised as a boy. A boy trained to act as a girl. A writer and activist in exile. An authoritative male. These are the four characters through whom Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen addresses the complexities of gender in cultures where men and women are segregated — and masculinity rules.

Afghan Hound performance includes four impersonations of voices from Afghanistan. The four stories that unfold are recounted through music and song. The choreography is contingent upon a costume made out of hair, metaphorically symbolizing different sexualities that are hidden in the particular context of contemporary Afghan culture.

Cuenca purposely inhabits the role of an impersonator. The artist has stated: “My position as an artist and impersonator is to be a mouthpiece for repressed voices that I urgently need to unveil. The Western discourse on the Arabic World is often reduced to our positioning of them. I have tried to communicate stories seen from their tradition and culture, because in my opinion is important to try to understand, before we interfere or judge.” (After Christian Larsen, Stockholm, 2012)

Organisation: City of Women; In collaboration with: Škuc Gallery.

Supported by: A Space for Live Art, Danish Arts Council Committee for Visual Arts.