Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen 23,5°

Created by artist Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen (b. 1970), 23.5° is a performance and a celebration of light and health. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the work takes the form of a ritual that marks the positive aspects of life. The summer solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year, and 23.5° is a celebration of light and wellbeing.

Cuenca has written a text that has subsequently been broken into short sentences and distributed across 200 lemons. The lemons represent (and quite literally are) invigorating sources of vitamins that are handed out to the audience. Through this act, fragments of the text are passed on to anyone who wishes to receive them.

23.5° is part of the official cultural programme presented during Denmark’s EU Presidency. The programme is run by Kulturmødet Mors in collaboration with Ungdomsbureauet, Danish Cultural Institute, Ung Kult and Grundtvigsk Forum, with support from the Danish Ministry of Culture and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Focusing especially on young people, the cultural programme aims to bring the European conversation closer to what matters to them. The objective is to nurture a sense of community across border, harnessing the power of art and culture to inspire fellowship, reflection and hope.

The programme is supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Ministry of Culture.

Photographer: Per Bille / Kulturmødet Mors

Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen’s practice is rooted in performance art transposed into a range of materials and media, including video, photography, sculpture and installation.

Cuenca’s works involve the body, written texts, songs and compositions, as well as elaborate visual elements such as costumes that serve as scenography. She collects, processes and universalises her narratives by applying a by turns critical and humorous gaze to a range of themes, including identity, culture, religion, gender and social relationships.