Hairfuck
Weaved by a Single Braid: ‘HAIRFUCK’ Confronts the Struggles of Women Under Societal Standards at Meng London x Cold Magazine’s London Pop-Up
Conceptualised and directed by Vittoria Rizzardi Penalosa // Dancers - Chiara Martina Halter / Vivian Guyrá / Maria Apostolidou / Monique Murphy / Ruby Abbas / Serra Kösebay // Movement direction Support by Dance Film Performance, Angelina Gorgaeva // Music composed live by AM sin // Wigs by Maria Pelò // Hair styling by Marco Coluccio // Assisted by Marco Crispino // MUA & body paint by Jo Merola // Assisted by Sophia Marie Davison // Styling support by Alice Secchi // Garments provided by Ruby Hung // Videography by Nana Nabi and Billy Daisley // Edit by Nana Nabi // Special thanks to You You Zhou //
Supported and hosted by The Cold Magazine and MENG London
This performance art piece, by Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa, a film director and multidisciplinary artist, documents the ritual-like experience that sees five women connected by a single braid of hair.
Photography | Rossella Damiani
With the length of hair often equated with beauty, synonymous with youth, vitality, and ultimately, fertility, the women explore complex relationships shared with themselves and each other as they attempt to reach the ‘wild woman’ — who lives freely from society’s expectations.
The dancers are weaved together with a single braid to symbolise how women are measured by these standards, consequently affecting their sense of identity and belonging.
Musically accompanied by modular music duo, AM sin, the piece expresses the weight of these expectations, as well as the inherent strength and vulnerability that come with navigating them.
“The ‘wild woman’ walks freely into the future, never reached and never moulding.”
From law school to screenwriting, Vittoria’s scripts have been finalists in several screenplay contests, Sundance Episodic LAB, Blue Cat, and The Launch. Her directorial work has screened at prestigious venues across the world including, MAXXI Museum of Modern Art in Rome, Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and the VIFF centre in Vancouver.
With her films premiered on platforms such as, My Movies and Minute Shorts, Vittoria’s work has been recognised in Oscar-qualifying film festivals including, the HBO film festival in Palms Springs, LA International Shorts Film Festival, and Vancouver International Film Festival.
Her feature film in development titled “It burns”, a coming-of-age psychological-thriller, was selected at the Venice Biennale College Cinema 2023 along with only six other projects.
Vittoria has directed music videos for musicians between Milan, London, and Amsterdam as well as campaigns for Barbour, Swarovski, Cirque Du Soleil, Vogue Brazil and LE MILE magazine.
HAIRFUCK is being screened internationally including Loosen Art at the Millepiani Exhibition space in rome - italy.
