Noemi Segarra Ramirez is a movement artist and co-founder of artist collective PISO Proyecto who visited The University of Texas at Austin last fall. We interviewed her on foot –walking is one of her artistic practices–and learned why she situates her work at the intersection of social justice and embodied practices.

What does it take for our bodies to relate differently to people or places? In this 10-minute audio story, Noemi shares her thoughts on social justice, somatics, and improvisation techniques in the context of recent states of emergency in Puerto Rico.

Cultural, social, economic, and political forces all manifest themselves in our bodies through our posture, gestures, attention, breathing, and overall well-being. Leaning on improvisation techniques–and on each other–could assist us in the process of responding to pressing questions in rapidly changing times.

Photo: Rebecca Lloyd Jones