The Rage Room
Video, sound, installation, research / 2025
In collaboration with Alla Petrenko-Lysak (Ukraine)
The project appeals to the anger of ancestors, which, having been suppressed under colonialism, must be released by the modern generation.
We invited viewers to go through a typical image of a Ukrainian woman of the early 20th century and look “inside” this suppressed anger, without the manifestation of which healing is impossible.
“The Rage Room” is an opportunity to hear what makes Ukrainian women angry, to see how you can give vent to your rage, and also an opportunity to express your own anger in writing or physically by hitting a punching bag.
The right to express anger – as the right to catharsis, to cleanse yourself with strong emotions – is the key to moving into the future, not burdened by the position of a victim.
In most Christian cultures, the manifestation of anger is legitimate for men, accompanied by determination and strength of spirit, while female anger is perceived simply as “hysteria.”
We turn to the concept of “double colonization,” according to which women are oppressed by both colonial power and male domination. Modern Ukrainian women remain hostages to the stereotype of what they should be, especially in wartime: strong, patient, gentle, and reasonable. However, the legitimization of female anger is important not only from the point of view of mental health or justice in society. According to the theory of “decolonizing therapy” by American psychotherapist Dr. Jennifer Mullan, anger is an integral stage in the process of decolonizing society.
