Queering the Ocean

Join us on Sunday, June 8, for an evening at Ocean Space in celebration of World Ocean Day. The event will feature talks, a drag show, and a DJ set, all dedicated to the Ocean and ecology from an intersectional and queer perspective.

Queer ecology highlights the complexity and fluidity found in nature—both in human bodies and ecosystems. By acknowledging the diversity and interdependence of all living beings, we can discover new ways to understand nature and recognize the human species as an integral part of it.

We will explore the challenges and opportunities of our time through an eco-transfeminist lens, creating space for narratives that address the intersection of environmental justice, gender rights, and the intricate complexities of our existence.

It is impossible to discuss environmental sustainability without considering cultural, social, and emotional aspects. When we talk about the Ocean, we also talk about bodies that are moving, hybrid, fluid, and queer.

• 6 - 6:45pm | Enacting ocean science and blue economy otherwise through decolonial and feminist artistic praxis
  Panel talk con Louise Carver, Esther Figueroa e Antonia Majaca Friedman (in English).
  
  This conversation explores how decolonial and feminist arts and research-led configurations participate in re-thinking marine science and the blue economy. On World Ocean Day 2025, the UN Decade of Ocean Science marks its half way mark under the slogan “the science we need for the ocean we want.” Unsettling the assumptions, values and futures this rallying call carries, the discussion will open up more diverse possibilities that explore what sorts of knowledge come artistic-practice could participate in convivial and justice centred ecological futures.
  
  

• 6:45 - 7:30pm | Intertidal Practices, Research, Performance, and Archive
  Conversation with PerLa – Performance Epistemologies Research Lab, in collabortion with IUAV University (in Italian).
  
  Intertidal Practices explores the threshold space between land and water as a site of research, action, and memory. Through situated performances, environmental observations, and recording devices, the project investigates the relationship between body, landscape, and data. The archive becomes an open, evolving form that collects gestures, traces, and emerging narratives from the lagoon.
  
  

• 7:45 - 8:15pm | Abyssal Sparkles for Other Futures
  Drag show with Laryssa Coifashi, IINU e La Fede Vera, in collaboration with Collettivo Isteria.
  
  The performances presented by Collettivo Isteria reflect on and celebrate the intersections between ecological activism and queerness. Each act addresses complex and urgent issues of our time- from marine biodiversity to plastic pollution and the effects of climate change - using powerful, humorous, and moving visual metaphors to convey their significance. The diversity of creative media, styles, and performers highlights the variety found in art, social life, and marine ecosystems, emphasizing the global nature of both the queer fight and the one for the planet's preservation.
  
  

• 8:15 - 10pm | Dj set with Condoii in collaboration with Threees Productions
  

During the dj set, the Drag Glam Zone will be open: an explosion of glitter and transformation curated by the House of Serenissima collective.

Isteria Collettivo, founded in 2021, is a Padua-based group of drag artists known for its creative energy and ability to bring together diverse forms of artistic expression. The collective includes drag queens, drag kings, and drag monsters with different backgrounds and approaches. Created to promote drag culture and inclusivity, the collective produces and organizes shows, events, and workshops that celebrate the art of transformation, theatre, music, and performance. It is distinguished by its tragicomic theatrical performances and its consistently bold political stance. Beyond artistic work, the group actively supports its community both politically and materially, helping to create safer, more inclusive, and accessible spaces for all.

La Fede Vera, a drag artist born in Berlin, began their journey in the German capital before settling in Italy. They collaborate with Servi di Scena APS on the organization of the “Mulino Drag” workshop, a regular feature of the summer series Mulino Nicli – Spazi creativi per macinare idee. In 2024, they joined Isteria Collettivo.

Laryssa Coifashi is a drag playground—a space for experimentation among swings, mustaches, and makeup. Born by chance in Latina on an August night in 2020, she later moved to Padua and co-founded Isteria Collettivo. With the collective, she helped create projects such as Unidrag, a laboratory-style space for exploring drag art, and Falene, a monthly show blending drag, theatre, and cabaret.

IINU, the stage name of Denise Biasiolo, is a mischievous creature from the shadowy corners of imagination. Through makeup and costumes, they come to life on stage, often portraying eerie, tragicomic roles. IINU moves playfully between pure horror and childlike whims. Together with Lily Lux, they founded OSTREGA!, a bi-monthly drag aperitivo inspired by American drag brunches, hosted at LSO La Tana. IINU is also a key performer in Falene, the monthly event by Isteria Collettivo at Distretto Est, and frequently appears on the Anima Underground stage. They performed at Padova Pride 2024 and were the godparent of Riviera Pride 2024.

Threes Productions is a creative agency committed to cultural sustainability, developing and promoting experimental projects in music and the arts. With a research- and innovation-driven methodology, Threes has become a collaborative, multidisciplinary platform spanning event production, editorial content, and music development. All projects embrace experimentation, driven by the desire to challenge cultural paradigms and inspire an ecological vision. One of its flagship initiatives is Terraforma, an international experimental music festival focused on sustainability, launched in 2014.

Ismael Condoii, known as Condoii, is an Italo-Ecuadorian sound artist and DJ. He graduated in Electronic Music from the Milan Conservatory in 2020, beginning an experimental path rooted in his Andean heritage. By blending electronic music with Andean, Indigenous, African, and neo-tribal sounds, Condoii creates a vibrant dialogue between diverse cultures. Through his art, he sheds light on the exchanges and encounters born from migration and the sharing of common spaces.