In the 1980s, at a time when the feminist movement and discourse were at a peak in Taiwan, a book was published by an unknown author that sought to regulate how women ought to behave. That book inspired Girl’s Notes, a performance by artist Su Pin-Wen and pianist Lin Mai-Ke that aimed to radically overturn gender stereotypes and challenge sexism.
The 40-minute show spotlighted Su, who uses he/him/they pronouns, balancing a Chinese edition of Umberto Eco’s History of Beauty on his head while undergoing tasks such as making coffee. Achieving this feat involved careful manoeuvring of the body as Su continued to position himself into physically challenging poses.
Very little context was offered by way of the program, but it was not hard to see the critique of heteronormative gender roles, sexuality, and identity and body politics at play.
Girl’s Notes didn’t quite hit the mark of ‘equal parts performance art and contemporary dance’, but if it were to be considered as an alternative classical music concert – that’s where it could be seen as being boundary-pushing.
Presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Focus Taiwan program, this was the first performance of Girl’s Notes in a classical music venue – the Melbourne Recital Centre – set to a live piano score, including compositions by Chopin. There were many connotations that could be brought into this; the canon of classical music has been dominated by white men, it’s a symbol of class and wealth, even in some contemporary Asian cultures, and the lines between creative and domestic work become indistinguishable.
In an earlier interview with Su for Cacao magazine, he said nudity in his work is about dismantling gender stereotypes and expectations, but also a way to bridge language and communication.
By adopting male-identifying and non-binary pronouns, Su considers gender as an act that brings out multiple aspects of inequality, biases and uncertainty.
Read: Performance review: A Love Letter to the Nightingale, The Blue Room Theatre
As a performance though, Girl’s Notes lacked vital elements to hold this reviewer’s attention, and neither confronted or provoked a deeper delving into its implications.
Girl’s Notes was performed from 11-12 October at the Melbourne Recital Centre as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival.
