SPELLS FOR FEMINIST FUTURES, BY MIHAELA DRĂGAN + CONCERT BY TARAF DE CALIU

Nourished by her research on shamanism and various forms of witchcraft conducted during a residency at Para Site in Hong Kong, the multidisciplinary Romani artist Mihaela Drăgan created the Roma Futurism movement in 2018. This approach aims to rehabilitate the figure of the Romani witch, stigmatized for centuries, and to reframe how Roma people think about their own history of persecution. Drawing on specifically Romani epistemologies, she sketches a vision of the future in which Romani women break free from patriarchy and racial oppression. In Spells for Feminist Futures, she performs a curse ritual against fascist politicians and a healing ritual inspired by the practices of Romani witches in Romania, extending her film The Future is a Safe Place Hidden in My Braids.

Taraf de Caliu, led by the legendary violinist Gheorghe “Caliu” Anghel, is the flamboyant heir of the mythical Taraf de Haïdouks. From Clejani, a Romani village in southern Romania, the group continues the tradition of the lautari, virtuoso and passionate Romani musicians. Between frenetic rhythms, enchanting melodies, and soaring violin, accordion, cymbalum, and double bass passages, their improvisations captivate audiences. After international tours and prestigious collaborations (Yehudi Menuhin, Kronos Quartet…), Taraf de Caliu continues to electrify stages with lively, joyful, and untamable music—a true journey to the heart of the Balkans, where the Romani spirit expresses itself with intensity and generosity.