The Archaeological Rollercoaster, or: The Freedom to Write Our Own History

Authors

  • Dan Dansen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2025.299

Keywords:

Ancestry, History, Nonbinary, Trans, Utopia

Abstract

I was invited to membra(i)nes, the 12th annual conference of the Gender Studies Association, in 2023 with the lecture performance “To My Ancestors – Transformations in Space and Time,”. „To My Ancestors“ is a solo performance in search of trans ancestry in Europe.

In this text, I reflect on my research and the difficulties that arose from the fact that trans perspectives are rarely found in official historiography. What opportunities lie in the integration of non-binary perspectives into social and historical discourses? How can our non-binary perspectives benefit a world that is often organized in binary oppositions? I explore these questions in this text, as they also guided me in my research for the project “To My Ancestors.”

Author Biography

Dan Dansen

Dan Dansen (they) is fascinated by the question how to form a chosen family: how can we shape relationships to other human beings and to non-human beings alike? They are a non-binary filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. They love thinking outside of the box, are a passionate gardener and are devoted to integrate joy as a political strategy.

Dan holds a Magister degree in Cultural Studies (HU Berlin), as well as a diploma in art and film (UdK Berlin). They work on queer issues and utopian perspectives. In 2022 their first solo performance “To My Ancestors” premiered as an immersive installation at galerie futura Berlin and has since been touring the German-speaking world successfully.

References

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membra(I)nes: article cover

Published

2025-11-07

How to Cite

Dansen, D. (2025). The Archaeological Rollercoaster, or: The Freedom to Write Our Own History. Open Gender Journal, (1). https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2025.299

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