The future is female – and so is the past, as depicted by these portraits of girls as unlikely warriors. Together, they boldly reframe the histories of iconic women through the centuries.

We Will Slam You With Our Wings is a video and sound installation of seven hanging screens, representing a series of 19th century imperialistic portraits. Instead of the lavish depiction of men, an army of young girls aged 8 to 16 each stand in her own frame, in her own regalia and holding her own stance of power. Dudley is their mentor, encouraging the girls to take autonomy over their own voices and to create the world afresh.

In a defiant rebuke of the ghosts of misogynists past, this inspiring blend of opera and videography steals from history’s most renowned opera arias for the dying female soprano. The tragic fates of these operatic figures, however, take a turn for the better. Rather than being led to their deaths as we have grown to expect, this female army leads you to watch them loudly conquer. Famous speeches from the world’s male leaders and dictators, proclaiming declaration of war, are reshaped into a feminist war cry echoing through the ages.

We Will Slam You With Our Wings is a show of intergenerational solidarity, strength and power that speaks to the past, the present, and the future. This highly accessible work introduces the themes of female identity and power in a playful manner without being didactic.

Presented by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia

WE WILL SLAM YOU WITH OUR WINGS 

would like to thank our

Funding Archangel

Brenda R. Potter