A snake dreams of a human. And vice versa.
In Greek mythology, the seer Tiresias was transformed into a woman for seven years for allegedly disturbing two copulating snakes on Mount Kyllini, in Greece. Counteracting the linear, patriarchal way of manufacturing history, Niya B’s mythopoesis layers mythology, personal history and multi-species entanglements to retell the Tiresian myth through a poetic and performative journey of transformation.
Ekdysis is a scientific term referring to the process of shedding the external layer of the skin in reptiles. In this work, Niya B executes her own ekdysis by shedding the imposed identities of nation, religion, class and gender. In this process, she engages in three ritual actions by performing a cathartic rite of passage on the top of the mountain, by stirring the layers of history hidden in the tranquil waters of the Lake Stymphalia, and by eventually finding embodiment in the form of a snake-woman.
SHORT DESCRIPTION (if needed)
Inspired by the myth of Tiresias, Ekdysis is a contemporary mythopoetic journey exploring personal narratives of gender transition and nonhuman kinship-making on Mount Kyllini, in Greece.
