NEZ NOIR

Sitting at the end of a tightrope stretched between two anchor points, Estelle Samira Borel knits, dressed in a sheep costume. Her fingers work the wool as bleating sounds resonate. A scene that might seem charmingly rustic.

But behind this image, the tightrope walker offers an intimate and decolonial journey through Valais, the Swiss canton where she grew up. A territory whose racist legacy remains largely unacknowledged. For the woolly animal that accompanies her on stage is not just a simple pastoral costume: it is inspired by the Nez Noir, meaning “black nose”, those iconic two-toned sheep of the region, an allusion to the enduringly violent comparison between Black people and animals.

Estelle Samira Borel uses her acrobatic performance to grab hold of this comparison, turning the stigma around to create a powerful figure of resistance.

Five solidarity tickets at €5 will be set aside for each performance of performing arts projects (with some exceptions). Please email reservation@halles.be