As part of the production of HEKS, Teateret and Stavanger Museum invite audiences to a historical and artistic introduction to the performance.
Artist Marit Victoria Wulff Andreassen presents her work on the story of Astri, one of the women convicted of witchcraft in Stavanger in the 17th century.
HEKS is based on real women and witch trials in Denmark-Norway. Stavanger was also severely affected by the witch trials. Astri, a poor widow who ran a tavern, was accused, tortured and sentenced to death after gaining a reputation as both difficult and dangerous.
In the exhibition Mitt Stavanger, Marit Victoria Wulff Andreassen has created a space centred on Astri’s story. Through themes such as femininity, power, exclusion and social control, both Astri’s fate and the conditions faced by women in the 17th century are explored.
The severed plait on the wall refers to Astri’s execution, while also representing hair as a symbol of female identity, status, fertility and sin.
The evening features the artist and a presentation of the work behind the room, the significance of Astri’s story, and how art can offer new perspectives on the women affected by the witch trials.
