What happens when a woman takes a seat in public space, without conforming to norms or asking for permission? How does it affect the way we view the female body? The artist Helena Byström and the choreographer Anna Källblad investigate this in the performance work City Horses . In the work, a group of female dancers move like wild horses through streets and squares in different cities. Galloping, trotting and snorting, they take possession of the urban space, like a living moving sculpture.
Byström and Källblad’s performance has been carried out in several different European cities, from Stockholm to Barcelona. In connection with the performance, the piece gave rise to strong reactions, from both the audience and the participants. At Liljevalchs+, City Horses is shown in a completely new way, in the form of a larger film installation with four projections, where, in addition to the film, we get to share the thoughts and texts of the approximately 100 participating women. As observers, we are placed in the middle of the action, and get to follow the progress from the inside. We are close to the dancers, hear their voices and see their bodies. And in the same way as the participants, we are confronted with the question: how free are we really to take a seat and move around the city?
