Sociobiographic Storytelling about Women as Agents: A Polyphonic Collage

The writer Annie Ernaux coined the term of auto-socio-biographic narration as literary phenomenon at the intersection of narration, social analysis and political comment. For her it was an access to reflections about experienced class divided power dynamics.

This project “Glorious Women“ focuses on women as agents and therefore gender is emphasized. In contrast to Ernauxs approach, are these narrations not socioautobiographic memories, but sociobiographic stories about single women who let an imprint into the world – often through their art and/or theory production, sometimes through their political engagement. Such women created different resonances and effects in society through their presence, thoughts and aesthetics… and are therefore remembered by others.

This is a form of collective and personal memory as well as inventing characters through storytelling. We are listening to a variety of voices.

The artistic research project „Glorious Women“ evolved as polyphonic sociobiographic storytelling project. Diverse interviewees were asked to tell a story about one women, who became influential for them. We are listening to different voices, speaking from different angles and experiences about different committed and inspiring women, who became – each for her own sake – influential to others.

Moreover those sessions of storytelling were life acts, casual, situated and were held in very different contexts. The background noises testify to the specific situation and the shared presence of the actors involved. This ambient sound varies greatly. One can hear dog barking, church bells, park noises, singing, chatting, café sounds, ocean waves, band rehearsals, and jackhammers – sometimes to the degree that it interrupts the performative act of speaking. This, in turn, is part of the concretely situated storytelling and the process of listening as well.

Such performative and sonic elements are crucial parts of the aeststhetic practice. Rémy Bocquillon stated that it is possible to work with sound rather than about sound in art
sociology. In the performing arts on contrary – since it is a life act art form – the intrusion of reality can be a central element of its aesthetics.

Therefore the project „Glorious Women“ is an experiment, where aesthetic practices of sociobiographic storytelling, sounding and listening are constitutive for the making of art sociological thinking.

Each storytelling is a precise fragment and part of a collage. Only by listening to very different stories/voices about different female artists/theorists, their experiences, strategies, and invented aesthetics in different times and spaces do aspects of collective experiences, shared history, and art sociological reflections become tangible.