Ostriženi kurent
Tukaj je še celotna arheološka, arhitekturna, umetniška in etnološka dediščina Ptuja ter nekaj majhnih biserov, kot je denimo multimedijska instalacija Stanke Vauda Benčevič v DomuKULTure-muziKafe, ki se je posvetila ptujski etnološki ikoni kurentu. Njegov pomen je po njenem mnenju razvrednoten s strani religije in zaradi komercializacije, ki nam onemogoča stik z naravo, z zemljo, ko nam ni več treba samim skrbeti za sadove in hrano, temveč se prepuščamo obilju nakupovalnih centrov, kjer ni razlike med pomladjo, poletjem, jesenjo in zimo. Zato se je v projektu Očiščevanje kurenta odločila kurenta »ostriči, mu skrajšati dlako, vzeti moč in morda s tem pomagati, da se bo zazrl vase in se ponovno zavedal prave vrednosti in poslanstva«, koncept s kosmi volnene preje zatrpanega labirinta pa sodi med bolj domišljene in subtilne ambijentalne postavitve, kot smo jih sicer v tem polju umetnosti navajeni.
Peter Rak – Delo, sobota 28.7.2012

MULTIMEDIJSKA INSTALACIJA  – OČIŠČEVANJE  KURENTA
muziKafe / galerija – 2012

Projekt OČIŠČEVANJE KURENTA je nastal zaradi človeka – bitja, v katerega sem nekdaj idealistično verjela, čutila njegovo lepoto, a me je skozi življenje in izkušnje tolikokrat negativno presenetil.
Kurent je eno od lokalnih slovanskih božanstev, ki je nastalo še v predkrščanskem obdobju, ko so ljudje mnogo bolj čutili povezavo z naravo, z dnevom in nočjo, s soncem in luno. Ko je bilo pomembno, če bo kaj zraslo, da bomo lahko jedli in preživeli ob milosti in nemilosti, ki je za naravo tako značilna. Njena muhavost in negotovost sta botrovali, da so na pomoč stopila razna verovanja in delovanja v smeri boljšega, odrešujočega življenja.
Kurent naj bi imel pomembno poslanstvo. S svojim demonskim obličjem, a z božansko notranjostjo, naj bi preganjal zimo, bedo, lakoto in klical, oznanjal pomlad, obilnost, skrbel za rodnost zemlje. Na našem področju so mu posvečali veliko pozornosti. Cerkev se je ves čas trudila, da bi premagala njegov pomen in ga prestavila v čas neresnosti, pustni čas, ko se veseljači in se uganjajo norčije.
Mladi fantje so se od nekdaj oblačili v kurente, ki so jih podedovali od svojih prednikov, in se podajali v iskanje pomladi, Vesne, svoje ljubezni, blagoslavljali so polja in oznanjali dobro letino. A je človeška narava na tej poti velikokrat zatajila. Božansko poslanstvo se je velikokrat spremenilo v človeško nemilost. Sledili so pretepi zaradi objestnosti, posesivnosti, pretepi zaradi deklet, pijančevanje, tudi posilstva, ker je pod masko vse mogoče.
Vsakoletno iskanje pomladi je ritual, ki ima pomembno vrednost. To je iskanje ljubezni, prošnja za obilno darovanje narave, zemlje, za sonce in dež, ki naj nadomestita sneg, mraz in zimsko spanje.
Poslanstva Kurenta ni razvrednotila samo katoliška cerkev, temveč tudi komercializacija in sodobni način življenja, ki nam onemogočata stik z naravo, z zemljo, ko nam ni več potrebno samim skrbeti za sadove in hrano, temveč se prepuščamo obilju nakupovalnih centrov, kjer ni razlike med pomladjo, poletjem, jesenjo in zimo. Vse je na razpolago in hrepenenja po pristnosti in stiku tako s samim seboj kot z naravo izginjajo. Kurentu pa raste dlaka. Raste mu, da je v očeh mnogih vse lepši, mogočnejši, pohotnejši, prepomemben, bolj mačističen – in vprašanje je, ali se sploh zaveda, da mu za celost in izpolnjenje manjka Vesna, boginja pomladi, manjka resnična ljubezen.
Odločila sem se, da bom poskušala prebuditi ta osnovni pomen Kurenta in skupaj z ustvarjalno ekipo ustvariti obred – ritual očiščenja Kurenta. Ostrigli ga bomo, mu skrajšali dlako, mu vzeli moč in mu morda pri tem pomagali, da se bo zazrl vase in se ponovno zavedel svoje prave vrednosti in poslanstva. Svojo ljubezen do Vesne – pomladi, ki se vsako leto znova in znova prebuja v njem – bo morda lahko ponovno začutil. Njuna vez bo zagotovo prinesla dobro letino, srečo in zadovoljstvo v našo deželo … morda tudi moralno, etično preobrazbo, boljšega človeka in družbo.

Kletni prostor Doma KULTure se je za pol leta spremenil v oltar očiščevanja Kurenta. Njegova dlaka – volna – volnena preja je napolnila prostor in nas kot maternica posrkala vase. Sezuti smo stopili v bel prostor, katerega belina je volna sama, po tleh kot ostrižena dlaka in v obliki preje – po vseh stenah, stropu. Zmehčana okrogla oblika prostora nas bo vodila pred oltar, kjer bomo priča striženju Kurenta – v obliki digitalnega filma na prejo. Zanj zapeta pesem Vesne bo odmevala po prostoru …

MULTIMEDIA INSTALLATION – CLEANSING THE KURENT
muziKafe / gallery 2012

The project entitled CLEANSING THE KURENT was created because of the human being – a being I once idealistically believed in, felt its beauty; it has, however, managed to disappoint me time and time again through the course of my life.
Kurent is one of the local Slavic deities, dating back to the pre-Christian period, a time when people still felt a strong connection with nature, with day and night, with the sun and the moon. A time, when it mattered whether anything would grow, so that we would have food on our tables, and when our survival was a matter of Nature’s mercy. Nature’s whims and our uncertainty were the reason for the rise of various beliefs and actions aimed at a better, more redemptive life.
Kurent is said to have an important mission. With his demonic face and divine character, his task is to drive away winter, misery and hunger, and bring in spring, abundance, fertility of the soil. He has received a great deal of attention in our area. The Church has always sought to defeat his importance and misplace him into the frivolous time of the carnival, when people have fun and do silly things.
Young men have always liked to dress up as kurents, step into costumes they had inherited from their ancestors, and go on a quest to find the spring, Vesna, to find their love, to bless the fields and announce a good harvest. But human nature has managed to disappoint many times on these journeys. The divine mission often changed into human ruthlessness. The change was followed by brawls due to arrogance and possessiveness, fights over girls, drunkenness, and even rapes, as everything was possible underneath the mask.
The annual search for spring is a ritual that holds an important meaning. It is the search for love, an appeal for nature’s generosity, a call for the sun and rain to replace the snow, cold and winter slumber.
The Kurent’s calling was not only devalued by the Catholic Church, but also by commercialisation and the modern lifestyle, which prevents us from keeping in touch with nature, with the earth, as we no longer have to produce our own food – instead we immerse ourselves into the abundance of shopping centres, where there is no difference between spring, summer, autumn and winter. Everything is available and the yearning for authenticity and for being in touch with ourselves and with nature is fading away. Meanwhile, the Kurent’s hair is growing. Growing, so that he would become ever more beautiful, majestic, lustful, important, manly in the eyes of many – and one cannot help but wonder whether the Kurent even realizes that in order to become whole and complete, he must find Vesna, the goddess of spring, he must find true love.
I have decided to try and awaken this fundamental meaning of the Kurent and create a ritual cleansing of the Kurent with a creative team. We will cut his hair, trim his fur, take away his power, all in an attempt to help him look within himself and rediscover his true value and his true calling. He may be able to feel his love for Vesna – the spring that awakens inside him year after year – once again. Their bond will undoubtedly bring a good harvest, happiness and satisfaction to our land … perhaps even a moral, ethical transformation, a better man and a better society.
For six months, the cellar of Dom KULTure will be transformed into an altar for cleansing the Kurent. His hair – wool – woollen yarn will fill the room and draw us in like a womb. We will step into the white room with bare feet, with whiteness all around us – on the floor in the form of cut hair and yarn, as well as on the ceiling and all the walls. The softened round shape of the room will lead us to the altar, where we will witness the Kurent’s hair beig cut – in the form of a digital film projection onto yarn. The song that Vesna will sing for him will echo around the room …