Sofia Caesar gives us a Brazilian cafuné, bringing healing through movement, stillness, and slowness.
Cafuné
2017, Spain and Belgium, 2 minutes 16 seconds
Caress the bench. Give the bench a nice cafuné. Cafuné is a Brazilian word that can be translated to “the act of caressing or tenderly running fingers through a loved one’s hair”. This affectionate action can be applied to lovers, family, and pets alike, as can the term “chamego”, which wraps up the senses of intimacy, infatuation, and cuddling, all in one term.
Superaquecidas (Overheated)
2022, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 min 25 sec, in Portuguese, English subtitles
Your body temperature is a few degrees higher than the 21 degrees Celsius the device was made for. The camera in your pocket was not planned to deal well with your awkward, sweaty palms. Little do you know about nurturing a good life in this heat. But you try.
about
Sofia Caesar is an artist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, currently based in Brussels. Her work is part of the experience of suffering from a chronic illness that affects the movements and states of the body. Rooted in dance practices and somatic therapies, Caesar shares a search for healing through movement, evoking bodily states of relaxation and pleasure. Working mainly with performance and video, she uses dance and somatics to propose relationships between the body, devices and everyday behaviours. Recognizing the disciplinary effects of these devices and codes of conduct on our bodies and minds, as well as the sick demands of the associated productivity and devices of power, her work often summons parties, social rituals, stillness, slowness and rest.
