Bastardie — KADIST — Exhibition — Slash Paris

In 29 days: June 7 → 30, 2024

Convened with Simon Asencio, Fatma Cheffi and Pedro G. Romero

How can speech practices that trouble official languages disrupt the established social order and open up other configurations? Do they have the potential to impact the way we look or act?

“Bastardie” is a series of events and exhibition at KADIST Paris that explore slang, jargon, and broader unconventional language practices, often referred to as ‘bastard’. The project aims to investigate their capacity to subvert official languages and broaden the scope of our expression.

Nicoline van Harskamp, Wer Mae Hao, 2015 © Droits réservés

Its title pays tribute to Alice Becker-ho, a linguist associated with the Situationist International, known for her interest in the lexicons of gypsies and Roma. Within this framework, the program will take place over three consecutive events hosting the proposals by choreographer Simon Asencio on the collective writing and listening of jargon ballads (14-15 June); by artist Pedro G. Romero on the heritages and filiations of flamenco languages (21-22 June); and by artist and curator Fatma Cheffi on trap and rap experimentations from a decolonial lens (28-29 June).

An exhibition gathering devices, KADIST collection pieces and other invited artworks will provide a scenography to dialogue with the events, absorbing the residues and traces left behind by each activation under the form of a spatial palimpsest.