Defacing Patriarchy at the Framework of a Greek Feminist Collectivity: The Artivism of StORGI [Care/RAGE] By Oestrogones – C. Grammatikopoulou and F. Tsibiridou

Grammatikopoulou, Christina, and Tsibiridou, Fotini. “Defacing Patriarchy at the Framework of a Greek Feminist Collectivity: The Artivism of StORGI [Care/RAGE] By Oestrogones.” In Cosmosemióticas de La Resistencia y Decolonialidad, edited by Julieta Haidar, 377–404. Buenos Aires: Sb Editorial, 2023. https://editorialsb.publica.la/library/publication/cosmosemioticas-de-la-resistencia-y-decolonialidad

This text investigates the strategies for challenging the Patriarchy in Greece through the case study of an activist collective, Oestrogones. It begins by exploring the concept of defacing the local Patriarchy within the post-colonial context of Greece and the Balkans, as extensively analyzed by F. Tsibiridou in earlier studies. The text employs methods of feminist research practice, which not only illuminate the experiences of women but also incorporate feminist principles in the research approach, such as equality in communication, transparency regarding intentions, and consent in data collection.

Subsequently, the chapter provides a concise overview of the emergence of feminist groups in Greece, particularly in relation to the economic crisis post-2008. It offers insights into the genealogies connecting Oestrogones with other feminist groups in Greece and the feminisms of the Global South. Their activism is contextualized not only in the specific location of Metaxourgeio/Kerameikos in Athens but also during a particular moment in time, namely the COVID-19 pandemic period. This context helps to understand the specific conditions that influenced their expressive performativity and embodiment, including their connection to urban carnival traditions and the need to engage with others during the pandemic lockdown confinement, significantly shaping the group’s interventions.

Driven by a sense of stORGI (a fusion of care and rage), Oestrogones craft their utopias through collectivity, care, and embodied action. In doing so, they propose an alternative mode of feminist political activism in public spaces, where music and dance emerge as tools of resistance and destabilization against the layers of local patriarchy.