JESSICA COMIS
“The gift of being uncomfortable
We cannot simply “move on”.
Moving on demands confronting our history, culture, society and selves.
Our past and perception thereof especially have massive impact on the way we navigate the world and relate to it.
We will never be able to create a sustainable future if the foundation of our future is built on denial.
Let’s take a hard look at ourselves.
How do we perpetuate systems around us?
How do we treat people within our communities?
Educate yourself. On your history, on your culture, on all the ingredients that went into creating you and the structures you inhabit. Real power lies in knowing. Before we can really get to know each other we must make a commitment towards knowing ourselves.
We need to see in order to dismantle.
We need acknowledgement to move on.
Listen and learn.
We might be considered black, people of color or whatever the fuck. This does not mean we all share the same experiences. Let’s be inclusive of each other’s narratives.
This is a time of support.
Just because we’re black does not mean we automatically support black culture, economies and peoples. Let’s invest into ourselves.
To the black artist, poet, laborer and lecturer: Don’t forget why and who you are educating. Believe me when i tell you that it’s folks out here listening to what you have to say and educating themselves through the content you provide. Thank you for being a source of pride, knowledge and inspiration. Thank you for representing us. Thank you for allowing us to understand each other and our environments better. Thank you for your existence.
Now, more than ever, we need to be critical. Critical of the media we consume and the information we share. A movement’s downfall is always due to the fragmentation of said movement. In order to sustain and nurture genuine progress we need to think and operate intersectionally.
Don’t take the bait. Be critical of what you hear and see.”
Jessica Comis, the pain which signals a toothache is the pain which saves your life
Video, 1.40min, 2019
“I am Jessica, a multidisciplinary artist based in Vienna. Performance is the glue that ties my artistic explorations together. My practice is sensual, the body clashes with materials that suggest limitation and propose friction. I use opposing elements to transcend the boundaries of my own physicality, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two.”
Website: comisjessica.com
Instagram: frankhonesty