The Politics of Joy

In her artistic research on the Politics of Joy, Marialena Marouda examines how joy and pleasure are understood as political and revolutionary affects within Black theory and Black feminism, in contrast to their framing as individualistic pursuits in a neoliberal capitalism context. The research focuses on personal experiences of joy and complex trauma, as well as the transformative power of joy to heal trauma." What are the implications of understanding joy as a methodology for deepening artistic –and political– practice? Starting from the body and the voice as loci of pleasure and of artistic expression, Marialena will work on stories and songs that attempt to bridge the personal, the professional and the political.

The research also looks at how a home or a house can, on the one hand be linked to experiences of domestic violence and neglect, while it can also signify safety, community and flourishing. The research is therefore also motivated by the desire to have conversations with queer feminist artists and organisers in Brussels and beyond, who are working with great determination to create spaces in which joy can be experienced. The existence of such safe and nurturing homes is existential, and the research aims to learn from and to celebrate the work and political commitment of those artists/organisers that make those homes possible. These conversations are partially recorded and will result in a series of podcasts that follow the research process.