On Saturday 6 November, 2021 T.A.N.J. editors Aimar Arriola and Giulia Tognon welcomed Divya Victor, Rosa Chavez and P. Staff for a poetry reading session.
Departing from their contribution to the journal, the artists and poets read from their work, which differently evokes embodied experiences of queer, feminist and Indigenous activism, holding space for individual and collective trauma, transition, and healing.
With the publication of the third issue of the magazine we want to carve a moment to read and listen, and celebrate how poetry can amplify the voices of those traditionally unheard and their fights for social justice.
Rosa Chávez is a Maya, K’iche’, Kaqchiquel woman, poet, artist, and educator. She has published five poetry books and made experimental works in theater, performance, video, and sound. Her writing has been widely anthologized and translated into many different languages. Chávez focuses her energy and experiences toward working with women, communities, and movements that defend land, bodies, and territories.
P. Staff is an artist based in Los Angeles, USA and London, UK. Solo presentations include Serpentine Galleries (2019) MOCA (2017) and Chisenhale Gallery (2015). They have been part of a number of significant group shows, such as ‘The Body Electric’, Walker Art Center, USA (2019); ‘Made in LA’, Hammer Museum (2018); ‘Trigger’, New Museum (2017); and ‘British Art Show 8‘, touring venues (2016). In 2021, their work has been on view at Canal 47 and the 13th Shanghai Biennale and formed part of the inaugural programme of LUMA Arles.
Divya Victor is the author of CURB (Nightboat Books, 2021), Kith, a book of verse, prose, and lyric essay (Fence Books / BookThug, 2017), and Natural Subjects (Trembling Pillow Press, 2014), winner of the Bob Kaufman Award. Her work has also featured in numerous anthologies, including the New Museum’s The Animated Reader and Crux Desperationis: International Journal of Conceptual Writing.
