Conversation with Sara Jordenö, Los Angeles, 2003

In the conversation, Sara Jordenö, reflects on how their theoretical foundation in feminist theory at Uppsala University intertwined with later experiences in art school: “I wanted to be a feminist researcher, but I chose art because it’s a good way to communicate—a different kind of language.”
Jordenö addresses the complexities of defining their practice solely within a feminist or queer framework. They reference Judith Butler's concept of "the risk of designation," stressing the vulnerability of artists with "feminist" or "queer" identities in an art world shaped by its own power dynamics. Despite Jordenö’s involvement with queer and lesbian designations, they question whether such labels might end up defining artists too narrowly, potentially overshadowing the full complexity of their work.

Referencing Yoko Ono and other feminist works that directly engage the audience, Jordenö emphasizes the power of participatory art and consciousness-raising in tackling societal biases: “I’ve been interested in Act Up and queer activism from New York, especially its confrontational and theatrical components.”

Jordenö’s recent work, The Persona Project, which also includes participatory elements, responds to Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, a film regarded as a lesbian classic in the U.S. Jordenö, intrigued by the subtleties of something as seemingly straightforward as subtitles, humorously describes their interactions with an MGM subtitle producer regarding Persona’s re-release in the U.S.: "I offered my services as a translator." Despite not speaking Swedish, the producer arbitrated the “truth” of the film’s language through various outsourced translations. "He has a desire for what this film is about. But I also have my desire... I'm inserting my own desire, and that's very important for me."

The interactive DVD format of The Persona Project invites audiences to actively interrogate desire in a nuanced way. "I can't prove that this is not a lesbian film... I can't prove that it is... We all have positions and interpretations… It’s very important for me... I want to put myself at risk... I can't promote this stable identity.” According to Jordenö, it is about “uncovering power structures without getting locked into a binary.” Jordenö critiques how dominant institutions marginalize non-normative interpretations by relegating them to “low culture.” This hierarchy, Jordenö explains, attempts to neutralize queer readings, dismissing them as irrelevant within “highbrow” spaces. The legacy of queer and feminist avant-garde is not a novel trend but a longstanding tradition in subversive, politically engaged art.