Meet the Associate Artist: Christiane Jatahy

Holland Festival and De Balie have made a programme with a central role for the work of author, theatre director and filmmaker Christiane Jatahy, who is this year’s Holland Festival associate artist. Jatahy will have a conversation with correspondent Nina Jurna, moderated by Aldith Hunkar, at De Balie about the art and stories that shaped her artistic practice. Where is the line between reality and fiction? What is power? What structures govern society? These are central questions in her work, which explores the intersections between artistic disciplines. She will also elaborate on the projects she is involved with at the festival.

Christiane Jatahy is described as a ‘harsh and acute observer of the violent cruelty of our world’ (Golden Lion jury report, Venice Biennale). She aims to effect connection, dialogue and social change through her work. Her artistic signature involves a cinematic way of working on-stage, in which she uses cameras to create both distance and nearness, thus altering our perspective.

The part of the festival programme to come about in consultation with Jatahy embraces the eclectic nature of her work. We have invited a range of (mainly Brazilian) makers — from theatre makers and choreographers to musicians and DJs. Some of these are regular collaborators of Jatahy’s, while others inspired her ideas about art and the role of art in society. Together, they present an intriguing view of what is currently happening – on the stage and beyond – in Brazil and the rest of the world.

Nina Jurna will join in conversation with Jatahy. Jurna lives in Rio de Janeiro and is Latin America correspondent for NRC and NOS. She also works for VPRO and VRT. After studying journalism at Windesheim in Zwolle, Nina Jurna worked as a freelancer for Radio Noord-Holland and AT5. In 2000 she left for Suriname where she lived for more than ten years and worked as a correspondent for RTL Nieuws and Het Parool. Since 2011, Nina Jurna lives in Brazil and is a Latin America correspondent. Nina has written several books about Suriname: With your own eyes, about 140 abolition of slavery in Suriname (2003). Standplaats Paramaribo (2007), Desi Bouterse, a Surinamese reality (2015) and she wrote a contribution to the book Antonlogie, about the ideas of Anton de Kom. In 2019 Nina was guest in the famous Dutch TV show ‘Zomergasten’. In 2023, together with director Martijn Blekendaal, she made a 7-part documentary series ‘From Bahia to Brooklyn’ about the Caribbean for VPRO. In 2023 Nina presented the podcast Latin Impact, about songs with social impact in Latin-America.