An Archiving Day with Nando Messias

As part of Museum of Transology (MoT) programming at QUEERCIRCLE, the talented performance artist, dancer and theatre maker, Nando Messias has donated objects and dresses from her performances to include in MoT’s expanding collection.

This archival process is not merely a routine documentation but a profound exploration into the artefacts that have played a significant role in Nando Messias’ artistic journey. Objects and dresses that have adorned the stage, witnessed emotional narratives, and become an integral part of performances will be carefully documented, preserving the essence and history of each piece.

Nando Messias’ approach to performance art is known for its depth and thought-provoking narratives. The archived objects and dresses will serve as a visual and tactile testament to the artist’s creative evolution, providing a glimpse into the stories, emotions, and messages embedded in each performance.

This archival event is open to all and is a durational activity where you can drop-in from 1 – 3 PM to get to know Nando and the MoT team and assist in the documentation process. The team will continue the archiving process until 6 PM and your assistance is welcome throughout!

Nando Messiaswork straddles performance art, dance and theatre. Their performances combine beautiful images with a fierce critique of gender, visibility and violence. Nando has performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal Court, The Gate, Hayward Gallery, V&A, Tate Britain, Roundhouse, Royal Vauxhall Tavern and ICA, among other spaces across the UK and internationally.

As well as a practitioner, Nando is movement director and a researcher of queer theory and performance. Nando’s publications include ‘Sissy that Walk: The Sissy’s Progress’ in Queer Dramaturgies (2016), ‘visibility: Performance and Activism’ in Performing Interdiscisplinarity (2017), ‘Injurious Acts: A Struggle With Sissy in Performance in Choros International Dance Journal (2018) and ‘Bibi is a Sissy: Drag, Death by Silence and the Journey to Self-Determination from Brazil to Britain’ in Drag Histories, Herstories and Hairstories (2020).

Nando’s solo work has been curated by the Live Art Development Agency as part of the programme ‘Just Like a Woman,’ shown in the City of Women Festival in Ljubljana (2013), New York and London (2015). They were the recipient of 2019 Library of Performing Rights Commission for which they developed The Pink Supper.

​In 2015/16 Nando completed a national tour of The Sissy’s Progress to much acclaim and press interest, followed by a tour of Shoot the Sissy to prestigious LGBTQ festivals and venues across the UK in 2017. Death and the Sissy, the closing performance of their sissy series, was presented in 2017 in London.w