Stefa Govaart

FANG II

FANG stages long-form poetry, taking on the Psalms of the Judeo-Christian Bible. Using a variety of inter-English translations and a personal history of auto-didactic language learning, Govaart is concerned with how our tongues are made -in- translation.

  
The project began with psalm 119. Historically hailed as repetitive and boring, its 176 verses contain an elaborate sequence of synonyms for rule. Seeking support/guidance/protocols, the psalmist summons a posture of supplication, a lamenting body in excess of itself. FANG activates lament in a way that exemplifies but also exceeds the project’s procedures and sources.