Sa, 22.08.2026
1 pm
Dance performance
about 60 minutes
From the imperial court to the ballroom, the abanico (folding fan) has always been far more than an object for keeping cool. It is a shield, a weapon, and a hidden language all at once.
In this minimalist solo performance, Belle Santos explores the cultural significance of the folding fan. Originally developed in 7th-century Japan and inspired by the anatomy of bat wings, the fan evolved over time into an architectural extension of the body. Rather than treating it as a mere prop, the performance understands the fan as a site of political negotiation: from an instrument enforcing rigid gender roles and elite class hierarchies in the 18th century, to a secret language of desire, and finally to its contemporary appropriation as a loud, tactile symbol of queer visibility and somatic protest.
Each gesture reveals what is concealed within its folds. Every sharp snap of the fan opening is an act of resistance.
Artwork: Belle Santos
Belle Santos lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Through installations, performances, and stage and costume design, she explores themes of grief, violence, class relations, girlhood, and trauma. Shaped by her long-standing work as a stage and costume designer for film, opera, and theatre, her artistic practice combines spatial scenography with performative elements.
Santos was a Fellow of the Saison Foundation in Tokyo, Japan, and has received artist residencies at Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto, Japan, and the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. Her recent works include the performance MORNING TIME, presented at venues including Sophiensæle Berlin and the Kyoto Art Center, and MATADORA, shown at Pogo Bar at KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin.
Sa, 22.08.2026
1 pm
Dance performance
about 60 minutes
From the imperial court to the ballroom, the abanico (folding fan) has always been far more than an object for keeping cool. It is a shield, a weapon, and a hidden language all at once.
In this minimalist solo performance, Belle Santos explores the cultural significance of the folding fan. Originally developed in 7th-century Japan and inspired by the anatomy of bat wings, the fan evolved over time into an architectural extension of the body. Rather than treating it as a mere prop, the performance understands the fan as a site of political negotiation: from an instrument enforcing rigid gender roles and elite class hierarchies in the 18th century, to a secret language of desire, and finally to its contemporary appropriation as a loud, tactile symbol of queer visibility and somatic protest.
Each gesture reveals what is concealed within its folds. Every sharp snap of the fan opening is an act of resistance.
Artwork: Belle Santos
Belle Santos lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Through installations, performances, and stage and costume design, she explores themes of grief, violence, class relations, girlhood, and trauma. Shaped by her long-standing work as a stage and costume designer for film, opera, and theatre, her artistic practice combines spatial scenography with performative elements.
Santos was a Fellow of the Saison Foundation in Tokyo, Japan, and has received artist residencies at Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto, Japan, and the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. Her recent works include the performance MORNING TIME, presented at venues including Sophiensæle Berlin and the Kyoto Art Center, and MATADORA, shown at Pogo Bar at KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin.
TROPEZ
at Sommerbad Humboldthain
Wiesenstraße 1, 13357 Berlin
Google Maps
Monday – Sunday
10.00 am – 6.00 pm
TROPEZ
at Sommerbad Humboldthain
Wiesenstraße 1, 13357 Berlin
Google Maps
Monday – Sunday
10.00 am – 6.00 pm
