During 2015-2018 Iraqi Bodies developed the vision "Rite of Exile" — taking themes from Dante's "De Vulgari Eloquentia" and "The Divine Comedy". "Rite of Exile" was comprised of three performances/ installations dealing with the poetic themes of love, war and virtue seen through hell, heaven and purgatory and was developed and executed through residencies at Angereds Teater (SWE), Kungsbacka Teater, Rum för Dans (SWE) and Akropoditi Dance Theater (GR).
Today we are facing war on a global scale, politically, economically and religiously. How does that affect our daily lives? Which bodies do we carry while walking down the street in Berlin, Stockholm, Rome, Paris, Athens or Baghdad? Which attitude of war do we endlessly keep up against ourselves and others?
When speaking of love, does it have any value today? What constitutes an act of love and how does it survive through the pains of war in relations to family, friends and romantic ideals? Where are the acts of love that react against the violence? And where is the violent love that rejects being suppressed by familial oppression or state surveillance?
Finally, virtue. Prudence, Justice, Temperance, Courage, Faith, Hope and Charity. Where and how are they expressed in our daily communication? How are they still at the foundation of moral law when almost never spoken of?
Created with support from The Swedish Arts Council, The Culture Committee of Gothenburg City, The Region of West Sweden, and The Swedish Arts Grant Committee