In a society that uniforms people through categories and labels,
this tribe features only one performer who carries the gravitas of a whole group.

Reflecting on gender, the performer brushes the borders of identity in a black latex suit.
The waist cincher and padded hips give the body an hourglass shape, elevated on high platform heels.
The strong make-up flashes the performer and the bejeweled headpiece turns him/her into a statement, an address to the surroundings. The costume triggers the mind and challenges the idea of a group of people as one performer becomes many.

Themes: 
Concept & Execution: Hans Harling
Curator: Hadi E. Damien
Starting Point: Náprstek Museum
Date & Time: Saturday 27 June 2015 at 11 am
Photography: Ad Achkar



Tribes, or extreme costume platform, is a live exhibition of three masked people dressed alike and displaying the same behaviour (political, weatherly, and musical). Departing from Náprstek Museum, the 83 tribes of masked professionals and students are critical of their country of origin. They walk through the centre of Prague for forty minutes, confronting the common urban space through a predefined route set by the organisers, visiting streets, metro stations, a supermarket, a theatre and a museum, colliding/blending in with everyday reality.

In many countries in the world (including Germany, the USA, and Czech Republic) recent political demonstrations exposed old, half-forgotten laws against being masked during political demonstrations. This points not only to the problem of our right to our identity but also to our right to our imagination. The presence of a mask in a public space can bring into view another layer of reality that was not visible before. Furthermore the presence of a mask creates a space, not just a space of imagination, but a borderline space of change, a place of crossing over.

Tribes is part of SharedSpace. It is handled by the PQ organisers and entries are subject to curatorial review by the Tribes curator. The country (or region) national curator is in charge of the organisation, the finance and the artistic supervision of the Tribes.