Ode to the Patriarchy

On the occasion of The International Woman’s Day 2019, the Mino Collective will be presenting “Ode to the Patriarchy: an Evening of Misogynistic Song.”

Inspired by the Icelandic Artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s project “Love songs of the Patriarchy,” the Mino collective, spearheaded by Zürich based artists Brandy Butler and Ella Ronen will be presenting this evening in collaboration with a local Zuerich venue, Kraftwerk.

The evening will run from 20:00 to 22:30. Viewers are invited to walk the corridors of the building and discover different female singers performing acoustically in varied spaces all around it. Each songstress has chosen one song from artists ranging from Trauffer to Rodgers and Hammerstein - the common thread being that they are all highly popular well-loved songs, that are a part of the local cultural canon (whether Swiss or American), and are all extremely misogynistic. Each artist will perform her one song repeatedly, non-stop, for the entire duration of the installation time (only taking short breaks for vocal rest in a designated backstage area which will be equipped with food and drinks).

The visitors of this installation will pay a small fee (est. 10 CHF) at the entrance, which will be donated to the Zurich Frauenhaus. They will then be given a map detailing the locations of the musicians and their songs and will be free to wander through the building, taking as much time as they need and experiencing it in whatever order they see fit.

We believe that this overwhelming artistic experience will encourage a vital discussion about the place of misogyny in our culture, our music, and our perception of romance.