RÉS KOLLEKTÍVA PERFORMANSZ – TOVÁBB, MÁSKÉNT KIÁLLÍTÁS RÉSZE

Daughters of My Father

“Something connects us with every girl in the world: our father. And the fact that he always sees us, even when he isn’t looking. If he isn’t looking, we watch ourselves through his eyes. Be very beautiful now, because he is watching, we say, while we watch ourselves get dressed, undress, watch the water touch our skin, eyelashes lengthen with black mascara, and hair lighten with hydrogen peroxide. All of this so our father knows his daughters are behaving just as he expects them to. We do not complain as long as we know his gaze is upon us.”

In the project Daughters of My Father, I put individual perceptions of womanhood to the test. I experimented and played on the one hand with the body—as a dancer—and on the other with emotions—as a woman standing on the threshold of adulthood. I questioned how my daily activities and self-image are influenced by the male gaze. I sought to uncover to what extent I view myself as an individual with my own goals and values, and how this has been reshaped by the internal pressure to conform, imposed by an “ever-watching eye.” How did I become a girl, and how did that girl turn into a woman? And who am I in relation to all of this, and why do I feel shame when my experiences do not align with what has been imprinted on me since birth?

I experimented with the questions arising within me, aided by my good friends and dance artists: Kristóf Juhász, Anna Sára Kliment, Viktória Molnár, and Enikő Menyhárt. They helped me gain a deeper understanding and insight into the phenomenon of the male gaze, the alternative perspective, and unarticulated tensions. We did what we, as artists, ought to do: we questioned, played, and analyzed until we reached a outcome. We gave tangible expression to our experiences—moments sometimes painful, sometimes whole—through movement and spatial awareness. We gave shape to everlasting thoughts, ultimately resulting in a dance performance. The steps of this process and the rehearsals were captured through the lens of Lili Panna Nagy.

The exhibition, combined with the dance performance, was first presented in October 2025 at the Textilgyár, and in February 2026, we had the opportunity to present the project once again at the Kőbánya Underground art festival organized by Irregulari. For the latter, our project was augmented with a light installation.

Credits:

• Concept & Choreography: Rebeka Sebestyén, with the assistance of Kristóf Juhász, Anna Sára Kliment, Viktória Molnár, and Enikő Menyhárt

• Set Design & Poster: Kamilla Kosztán

• Music: Áron Szabó, Péter Maier; Lana Del Rey: Cherry

• Text: Rebeka Sebestyén

• Photography: Lili Panna Nagy

• Dancers: Viktória Molnár, Rebeka Sebestyén