Lissette Nicole Josseau performed #NismoSamoUkras/#WeAreNotJustDecoration performance intervention on the Riva in Split, on April 7, 2021 in the frame of Misplaced Women? Workshop led by Tanja Ostojić
#NismoSamoUkras
Contribution by Lissette Nicole Josseau
My name is Nicole and my performance was on the Riva in Split, during the morning hours, when a lot of people are drinking coffee, sunbathing and taking a walk. I realised this performance in Tanja’s workshop Misplaced Women? and the other participants of the workshop took part in it, including: Kristina Tešija, Jasmina Šarić, Ines Borovac, Alejandra Robles Sosa, Neli Ružić, Tanja Ostojić…
I wanted to stop on the Riva and take off everything from me that I bought as an “accessory” in terms of all stuff that was not me, except the clothes I wasn’t ready to take off. I’ve put a piece of cloth on the floor and threw my bag, lipstick, glasses, a book, earrings, mascara, a ring and then the other women and girls gave up some of their things as well.
Those days I was withdrawn, quiet, and maybe that’s why the idea of ”accessories”, “decoration” came to me very spontaneously. It was good that I got dressed without thinking that morning, just to have something on and go to the workshop, so I felt the most comfortable, which was great, because the essence of my performance was that very often women are considered as some kind of a decoration, throwing goods, jewelry, make-up, shoes, scarves, “titles” at us, which we didn’t even ask for; and all that to decorate a place next to a man. So, that was the topic of my fight on the Riva. I wanted to talk to people passing by, but they very skillfully ignored me, as if I wasn’t there, as if they didn’t care. I even met two of my friends, but they didn’t even ask what I was doing there.
I wanted to ask people what they thought about it, was imagining myself asking elderly couples if the man knew his wife’s dreams, or what they wanted to be when they were little, or what they like to do the most, but unfortunately no one came to talk to me, except my workshop colleagues with whom I had a nice exchange.
I was standing on the Riva, the biggest catwalk in the whole Balkans for aproximately 20 minutes and no one even looked at me, as I was not overdressed as expected there. I even added #nismosamoukras (#WeAreNotJustDecoration) which I will probably continue using, and everyone who feels that way, please accept my invitation to continue and expand on it.
Lissette Nicole Josseau (b.1983) is an interior designer born in Chile, who currently lives and works in Split. In her own words: In myself I hold some kind of a mixture of blood, love everything that is different and has a positive impact on people’s lives. I’m decorating interiors, love colours and textures. I feel very good in the forest. I love people, but I also enjoy moments for myself. I come from a distant Patagonia having Croatian and Swiss roots. From a very early age I became interested in improving living spaces, first as a self-thought and later exploring and improving skills on the studies of Interirior Design in Spain.
Text written by: Lissette Nicole Josseau
Edited and first published by: Tanja Ostojić on the Misplaced Women? Project Blog, April 2021.
Proofreading and translation from Croatian: Culture Hub Croatia /T. Ostojić
Photos: Tanja Ostojić, Neli Ružić, Andrea Resner
Video recording & editing: Andrea Resner
This performance has been developed & performed for the first time in the frame of Misplaced Women? Workshop led by Tanja Ostojić, in Split, Croatia, April 6-8, 2021.
Hosted and organised by Culture Hub Croatia in the frame of Voids2021
Production: Misplaced Women? Project, ongoing since 2009
Original text in Croatian / Originalni tekst na hrvatskom
Moje ime je Nicole i moj performans održao se na rivi u Splitu, u prijepodnevnim satima, kada dosta ljudi pijucka kavu, sunča se i šeta. Napravila sam ovaj performans u sklopu Tanjine radionice Misplaced Women? i u njemu su sudjelovale ostale sudionice radionice među kojima su bile i: Kristinu Tešlija, Jasmina Šarić, Ines Borovac, Alejandra Robles Sosa, Neli Ružić, Tanja Ostojić…
Odlučila sam stajati na rivi i skidati sa sebe sve što sam kupila kao „dodatak“, tj. sve ono što nisam ja, osim odjeće koju nisam bila spremna skinuti. Stavila sam komad tkanine na pod i bacila na njega torbu, ruž, naočale, knjigu, naušnice, maskaru, prsten… A zatim su i ostale cure isto tako ostavile svoje stvari.
Tih dana sam bila povučena, tiha, i možda mi je upravo zato vrlo spontano došla ideja o „dodacima“, „ukrasima“. Još je bilo dobro što sam se upravo tog dana odjenula bez razmišljanja, “čisto da imam nešto na sebi”, i krenula na radionicu, tako da sam izgledala i osjećala se komotno, što je bilo super jer bit mog performansa je da ukaže kako se vrlo često žene smatraju nekakvim ukrasa, na njih se “baca” odjeća, nakit, šminka, cipele, marame, „titule“, koje nismo ni tražile, a sve to s ciljem da ukrasimo mjesto pokraj jednog muškarca, i protiv toga je bila moja borba na rivi. Htjela sam komunicirati s ljudima, ali vrlo vješto su me ignorirali, kao da nisam tu, kao da se njih to ne tiče. Čak sam srela dvoje poznatih ljudi, ali nisu ni pitali što to radim tu. Zamišljala sam da pitam ljude što misle o tome, zaustaviti stare parove i pitati muškarce znaju li snove svoje žene, ili što su htjele biti kada su bile male, ili što najviše vole raditi, ali, nažalost, nitko nije došao pričati sa mnom, jedino moje kolegice iz radionice.
Stajala sam na rivi, najvećoj modnoj pisti na cijelom Balkanu, oko 20 minuta a nitko me nije ni pogledao jer se nisam namjestila po njihovim standardima. Još sam dodala #nismosamoukras koji ću vjerojatno i nastaviti koristiti, a pozivam sve koji se budu tako osjećali, da i oni koriste ovaj tag. Dajem dopuštenje da se ideja širi dalje.
O autorici:
Lissette Nicole Josseau (r. 1983) je dizajnerica interijera rodom iz Čilea koja živi i radi u Splitu. Kako sama kaže: “U sebi držim neku mješavinu krvi, volim sve što je drugačije i što ima dobar utjecaj na ljudske živote. Radim dekoraciju interijera, volim boje i teksture. Osjećam se jako dobro u šumi. Volim ljude, ali obožavam svoje solo trenutke. Dolazim iz daleke Patagonije s hrvatskim i švicarskim korijenima, od malena sam se interesirala za poboljšanje životnih prostora, iz prve samouko, a zatim proučavajući i usavršavajući na studiju Homestaging u Španjolskoj.”
Tekst napisala: Lissette Nicole Josseau
Tekst uredila: Tanja Ostojić
Tekst je prvi put objavila Tanja Ostojić na blogu Misplaced Women?, u travnju 2021. godine
Lektura i prijevod na engleski: CHC i T. Ostojić
Fotografije: Tanja Ostojić i Neli Ružić
Snimanje i obrada videa: Andrea Resner
Ovaj je performans prvi puta razvijen i izveden u okviru radionice Misplaced Women? koju je vodila Tanja Ostojić, u Split, 6. – 8. travnja 2021.
Organizatori: CHC, u okviru projekta Praznine2021
Produkcija: Projekt Misplaced Women?, započeo 2009. godine
Misplaced Women? 