Everyone Deserves a Slice of the Pie

Everyone Deserves a Slice of the Pie oscillates between jubilant celebration and subversive activism, euphoric resistance and substantive criticism, and between black humor and colorful reality. 

The “middle consensus” is on media-specific historical awareness, political responsibility, feminist self-confidence and above all, resilience through artistic strategies. “The” pie is actually many different pies – meticulously prepared and shoved into the faces of those whom women are fed up with. 

Pirker skillfully weaves together the 100th anniversary of 16mm film, portable typewriters, and cameras with the equally long history of women in film, comedy, (dance) performance and activism. She combines the historical and analogue with contemporary and digital film footage. 

With references to Alice Guy Blaché and Anna Pavlova, and not least to Mabel Normand – the first person ever recorded on film throwing a pie – Sasha Pirker encourages us to take a political stance in a time of rising nationalism and the increasing questioning of democratic and liberal coexistence that goes along with it. The pacifist resistance comes with a recipe and is a currently apt declaration of war. Frosting caught in the nasal cavities may cause a sour burp; but it doesn’t hurt, and it’s still capable of expressing the frustration of those who believe in the values that women and men have worked for after World War II. 

Pirker also reminds us that balloons, celebrations, joyful solidarity, and sharp (political) humor must not be forgotten, especially in this day and age. Sometimes, when you feel like crying, laughter does indeed help. (Stefanie Reisinger)

(Translation: John Wojtowicz)