Joa Blumenkranz

'Siren Song' is inspired by the intimate experiences I have had with cisgender men as a transfeminine person. It deals with the ways in which trans and gender non-conforming bodies and lives disrupt not only traditional binary notions of identity - but also desire. The project combines different elements such as music, choreography, and costume design and has resulted in a video piece.

The process started with a collection of voice notes that I had received from romantic/sexual partners in previous years. I wanted to tackle the subject of transness in the context of intimate relationship dynamics, and so I wrote a poem that took the form of musical storytelling and included the voice notes in an anonymized state. I decided to embody a character for the piece that would resemble a cross between a siren, a stripper, and a spirit. The goal was to represent the transfeminine subject as an unapologetic and precious being to undermine the gaze of degradation and sexual repression that is often projected onto trans bodies.

I chose the metaphor of the siren because of its specific connotations with queer and transfeminine identity. It has been argued by Danish professor in Nordic literature, Dag Heede, that ‘The Little Mermaid’ by Hans Christian Andersen was an autobiographical story about “a love triangle between a prince, a princess, and a strange transgender sea creature.” Hans Christian Andersen wrote the fairytale when his friend Edvard Collin, who he was in love with, married a woman. This knowledge turns the story into an allegory on life as a trans/queer person. The mermaid is an ambiguous creature who wants to find her place in the world, which takes her on a journey of radical transformation. She wants to feel freedom and love like anyone else at any price, but the world seems to be an impossible place for her to find it – even if she sacrifices her voice or gets rid of her “tail”.

Another angle to the siren reference comes from its origins in Greek mythology where she was described as a hybrid creature that would lure sailors to their death by seducing them with her voice. Sirens, like transfeminine people, are seen as sketchy, yet alluring creatures that live on the margins of reality. They are both accused of tricking men into their own demise – be it literally or socially.

For this piece, I wanted to give the siren a voice of redemption to challenge the patriarchal sexual shame that still permeates society. Far too often, it is easier for men to blame and harm others for their own sexuality, than it is to accept and develop a healthy relationship with it. I wanted to reclaim the ‘siren song’ from being seen as a deceitful appeal and turn it into a call for justice. It is a response to the misplacement of blame put on queer people and women for men’s offences. With this piece, it is my hope that I can make a pungent statement about the fluid nature of human sexuality and point out the hypocrisy and pain that results from denying it.