Macacada, étude d’une singe brésilienne

Published on 23 October 2024

Macacada is more than a show, it’s an immersive and sensory experience in three acts. Maïra de Oliveira Aggio created it after reading Franz Kafka’s short story A Report to an Academy which tells the tale of an ape who has become a man. In front of an assembly of scientists, the ape explains how he has integrated human society by assimilating its customs and conventions.

Assuming the role of an ape, the performer mixes personal stories and decolonial thinking on stage. She begins by taking us to a tree transformed into an acrobatic apparatus. This is followed by a performance-conference on the notions of nature and culture in which she quotes the Quilombola philosopher Nego Bispo, a cornerstone of her creative research. The show concludes with an intoxicating DJ set, inviting us to dance and celebrate our ancestral roots.

Maïra de Oliveira Aggio is a Brazilian artist and researcher. Although she has lived in Europe for the last 13 years, she still identifies viscerally with the north-east region of Brazil where she grew up (Salvador, Bahia). Macacada is her first solo show. It is supported by the Antigone association, a collective dedicated to supporting the work of women in the performing arts.