Butterflies of the Night – Shining Statements
When the lights go out, glitter and crystals ignite! The exhibition brings to the stage performance costumes that are not meant to blend into the background and explores the crossing of aesthetic, cultural, and societal boundaries – delving into the worlds of burlesque, drag, and performance art.
Burlesque is a form of performance art often based on the tension between covering and revealing. The word’s roots trace back to the playful exaggeration found in Romance languages (Italian burla, French burlesque), and exaggeration remains a defining feature of burlesque. While burlesque is often associated with striptease, at its core it is much more: a feminist and political statement, a challenge to aesthetic and cultural norms, and a celebration of expressive freedom.
Drag art, on the other hand, plays with gender roles through costume, makeup, dance, and lip-syncing. It is a form of creative self-expression, entertainment, art, and political commentary all at once. Drag provides space for stories and identities that might otherwise remain in the shadows of other art forms, sparking conversations about identity, norms, and artistic freedom.
Both drag and burlesque offer the opportunity to be seen as one truly is, and to explore the boundaries of performance art in new ways. Together, they enrich each other’s expression and open fresh perspectives on art, freedom, and self-expression. In this exhibition, local artists share their own stories and highlight Finnish cultural history in the performing arts through objects, stage costumes, and other materials.