Cold in Church - Sails of Anarchy

Sails of Anarchy

Sailing is merely conceptual; no mountain high enough ain’t!
 
An organisational structure of a ship known as a ‘hydrarchy’—literally ‘rule of the watersnake,’
while referencing the mythical hydra—functions as a multifaceted allegory for the collective
power of the oppressed. This seafaring resistance to land-based powers is more than a fantasy; it was a
legitimate possibility for a reversal of the world order. For every beheading, two more heads grow in its place. This principle of collectivisation informs our approach to art-making. Sails of Anarchy speculates on a transhistorical summoning of this spirit through pirate fantasy, radical imagination, and counter-hegemonic intrigue.

The exhibition unfolds across three interconnected spaces, featuring a multichannel sound installation, vocals, coloured‑pencil drawings, and an installation of paintings and kinetic light. During regular opening hours, the full exhibition is accessible; the audio work plays continuously in a loop.

On 7 November, during Museumnacht, the installation comes together in a live performance. Within the network of cables, speakers and drawings, an anarchic structure emerges — one that reveals itself through attentive listening to the multiplicity of voices.

 Cold in Church is first and foremost a performance collective and band, but through our rehearsals and commitment to collaboration, we’re weaving space for transness, existential ardour, betrayal fantasies, you name it, in which our vessel hosts multiple other vessels: 

Cold in Church teams up with curator Helena Julian and artist Mauricio van der Maesen de Sombreff.
 
Cold in Church: Jacob Dwyer, Cécile Tafanelli, Faysal Mroueh, Charlott Weise, Giovanni Giaretta, Danielle Vorthuys.

As part of the exhibition, Cold in Church will also host a video screening at Arti on Friday 16 October. More information can be found on this page.

Image: Enea Mingorance