“Zina was a strange creature, I often thought; as if she had come from another planet. Her brick-red cheeks, her dyed hair, which resembled a wig: it was as if she had consciously molded herself into some kind of parody of femininity. She wasn’t just a poet, her whole being and dress sense was poetry: loud and provocative.”
Directed and written by Carmen Kautto, the performance, bearing the working title Land of Mermaids, is based on the works of poet Zinaida Gippius (1869–1945) and delves into the queer history of 19th-century St. Petersburg’s literary and artistic scene. Combining theater and music, the work is built around gender identity, sexuality, and the building of community and collective space. In her poetry, diaries, and life-performance, Gippius passionately seeks an alternative to gender binary and constructs a queer identity that combines her experiences of her own body and love, her theological thinking and resistance to heteropatriarchal norms.
The play is a co-production between Quo Vadis and Collectif Boxon Sentimental, and will premiere in the beginning of 2027 as part of Quo Vadis’ main program. More detailed performance times and locations will be announced later.
Working group
Carmen Kautto, Benjamin Dequiedt, Minerva Kautto, Anna Korolainen Crevier, Marion Duvinage, Alpi Vaalaja and Louna-Tuuli Luukka
Funders
Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kone Foundation