Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Bothersome Kings

I was at some great art exhibition. There were countless rooms filled with the works of different artists. Some artists were even present to introduce their creations. Some others were part of their artworks.
Most of the people took their time to walk and watch the art in that gigantic gallery, but not me. I rode my bicycle through there without paying attention to anything really well. At one point I came down to a video installation named “The Bothersome Kings”. That got my interest. Around the central video screen were placed posh and antique coaches, creating full square. Video itself didn’t interest me so much. It was kind of bizarre and unrelated pictures with static between them. Audio was also weird reading of series of facts which together created quite pointless story. At least that was my impression. I believe it may have had some kind symbolic meaning, but I certainly was more hit by the coaches and the name of the artwork.
I lifted my bike partly on one of these sofas and started explaining the meaning of this artwork to other viewers. I was so confident and had face like I’d be someone really important. But then i was intervened by one of the artists. He was the one who did most of the practical work with it, realizing the concept of another, a female artist. He tried to explain me that it’s not really right what I’m saying, and that his colleague and co-author knows everything about that piece and can explain it much better. Other artist started talking about their art, but then in turn I intervened her, saying: “No, you are all wrong about it. It has deeper, hidden meaning and possibly you had subconscious reasons for creating it.” Moreover, i said that I as a visitor of this exposition, am client, and client is always a king. King is always right. I have all the right to construct my own concept of it and to tell it to others as absolute truth. After that I started to acquire more and more characteristics and behavior that of a self-centered, tyrant king with absolute power. I even started to execute other visitors whom i simply didn’t like. So, unnoticed to myself i became the part of this artwork. I corroborated why it was named so. I turned into one of these bothersome kings.
This dream gave me good idea that perhaps i should make artwork of my own with the same name and meaning. Probably i would be first artist too, who has to mark out that it was done in co-operation with two other artist, whose names i sadly don’t know, because they are just dream characters. Still, i don’t think that i would copy that piece exactly. It’s just that i don’t like installations much, yet if I’d not come up with better realization and would make that kind of videoinstalletion better than in the dream, i would be even satisfied with that.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

21. detsember

Kas teie teate, kust tuleb eesti keelde sõna jõulud? Algselt ei olnud jõulu pühitsemine üldse seotud kristlusega. Tähistati hoopis talvist pööripäeva, valguse taaskordset võitu pimeduse üle, nagu enamikes paganlikes Põhja-Euroopa maades. Arvatakse, et algselt oli see germaanide tähtpäev, mis levis kogu põhjalas, keltide hulgas ja Briti saarter. Tänapäevane inglise keelne nimetus Yule (Näete sarnasust?) tulenevat vana inglise keelsetest sõnadest geōl ja geōla. Viimased aga on omakorda seotud vana põhjala sõnaga Jōl. Nende tähendusi ei ole päris täpselt osatud seletada, kuid arvatakse, et terminit kasutati maagia või palvepüha tähistamiseks. Teine võimalus on, et sõna tuleneb vana põhjala keelsest sõnast hjól (ratas, ring.. aastaring).
Praegusest jõuludest erines see paganlik püha aga mitmeti. Ka kuupäev on nüüdseks muudetud. Tegelikult pühitseti aasta ringi täis saamist ja uue algust hilisest detsembrist kuni jaanuari esimese pooleni. Siiski tuleks ära märkida, et tegelik pööripäev on olenevalt kalendrilistest erinevustest 20. ja 23. detsembri vahel, kuid enamasti oli pidustuste ja tseremooniate haripunktiks 21. detsember. Germaani kalender aga märkis selleks 25. detsembri.
Iidsed rahvad tegelesid põllu harimise, karja kasvatamise ja jahindusega, veetes suure osa oma ajast õues. Viimane oli talveti kahtlemata väga oluline toidu allikas. Aastaaeg ja ilm mängisid väga olulist rolli nende elus. Põhjala rahvad nägid päikest kui ratast, mis vahetas aastaaegasid. Seepärast pühitseti nii talve, suve kui ka kevad ja sügisest pööripäeva, sest need märkisid nende aastastes tegemistes olulisi muutusi. Kui paljudel pidustustel oli lõketel tähtis koht, siis talvisel pööripäeval võib öelda, et veel eriti. Sümboolselt pidi aasta kõige pikemal ööl tuli põlema kogu pimeda aja. Arvati isegi, et inimeste süüdatud lõkkevalgused aitavadki valguse taas võidule.
Erinevates paikades olid talvise pööripäeva tähistamiseks erinevad traditsioonid. Põhjalas nimetatakse lisaks lõkete tegemisele, lugude rääkimist ja magusa õlle joomist. Põhja-Euroopa traditsiooniks on ka õlgedest kitse või soku kuju valmistamine (oli traditsiooniks ka Eestis), mis algselt oli küll tava kits ohverdada. Germaanidel ja ka Skandinaavias oli tavaks valmistada pööripäevaks seapraadi (Rootsis näiteks tänase päevani traditsionaalne jõulutoit just see). Keltidel oli tavaks tammepuu puuvõõriku lõikamine ja selle kinkimine enda lähedastele õnnistuseks. Lääne-Euroopas põletati lõkke asemel üht eriti suurt puuhalgu või lõiku tüvest. Mitmel pool oli tavaks ka ukselt uksele käia laulmas, et andamit saada (nagu me teame tänapäeval Mardi- ja Kadripäeva traditsiooniks olevat). Vanasti oli ka see traditsioon aga mitmetel erinevatel pühadel. Seega viimasest on välja arenenud tänapäevane traditsioon kinke teha, mille lunastamiseks luuletust või laulu esitatakse. Lõpetuseks veel fakt sellest, et paganlik pööripäeva tähistamine tähendas parajat pummelungi. Tõsteti tooste jumalatele, kuningatele, kadunud kaaslastele ja kõiksugustel muudel võimalikel põhjustel. Niipalju siis rahulikest jõuludest. Ja siis lauldi jälle.
Ahjaa.. kui olete täna juhtumisi uudiseid näinud, siis panite kindlasti tähele, et ka juutide Hanuka ühtib talvise pööripäevaga.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

True nature of the Unknown Future

The Sequel to the last posting:
To be fair with you, I’d have to say that it is hard to see the mysterious ways Unknown Future works, even harder to learn how to sneak past his tricks. Yet it’s really well worth it. Actually ol’ Americans and natives before them knew him good, although with the other names. I already gave you a hint of his most known name before our times - Trickster – demigod or mighty spirit of chaos and irregular ways the world can work, teacher of nature’s ways and nature of our own being. Yes, many of his tricks are lessons. Really unconventional education about human’s own weaknesses and strengths. At least he sees these so. Now, this means he actually wants that humans stand above his tests. Every teacher wants students to succeed. And yes, you can even learn to use his deeds for your own good.
When it seems that you are loosing the grip over your life and maybe even weird things start to happen, then you can be fairly sure that you are dealing with him. Next thing would be to try and learn his agenda with you and go along with chaos to adapt and learn. Before you even realize, Trickster has gifted you with a true freedom and wisdom to use it properly. But in the case, things are still not looking well for you, I’d advise you to add more power to your actions. He likes it.
I even don’t know exactly when Trickster vanished from wide public knowledge, but it may have been seventeenth or eighteenth century, when he caused that much chaos and started events that ended unfortunately for the most of people, that he was likened with fiends who are absolutely bad in their nature. If the last is right, it would be quite understandable why he was cast out of the favor of the people – church just didn’t acknowledge that something like that should be trusted. Soon after that, science diminished the belief into deities, spirits and other such things, and he was almost completely superseded by the way of thinking that these more or less unfortunate events are happening just out of the bad luck and things just happen, we have no power against it.
But actually Trickster hasn’t lost hope for the reconciliation and salvation of humankind. Moreover, at these times, he again sets us in front of new ordeals, because man has left nature in harms way and are living more irresponsibly than ever before. Humans have embraced many unnatural sins and disvalues that threaten not to only end our well being we now love so much, but also may set us into the trail of harming the world without any hope of reversing the current.
Not all Trickster’s actions don’t seem bad, even not at first sight. He is also the one responsible for random encounters. He also creates variance in things and happenings. He encourages to discoveries, yet warns that some of these may end with more bad created than good. And sometimes his will offers a good entertainment too. For once more, Trickster is not entirely bad. He just likes us to find our lessons through failures and successes by our own. If you fail, then you see it as your own fault, and next time you try more. Well, if you still can. Look, the bugger entrepreneur Peter just gave up and that was not the fault of the Trickster. Let’s hope there is another life beyond that one, where lad gets the lesson.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

21st century epically important truestory (with couple fictional additions)

His first name is Unknown. No, not unknown but Unknown.. with capital U. And last name is Future. Unknown Future walks the world, slowly and silently. Truthfully it even doesn't have a gender, but most of the few people who have actually seen it with their own eyes, sure say it looks more like man. Such really grumpy but extremely self-comfident and egoistic, bully type of man. He roams the world with only one reason. When people have some important decisions to make or great things are to happen, then he goes there and fucks everything up, leaving behind people who only see hoplessness in their way.
Unknown Future is like a cold weather that makes every mechanical thing to work with problems or not at all. Makes everyone to struggle to find their own way through the world where now most ways are dead ends, and makes people to question if it really is a good idea to get out of the bed at all. Even economical system goes to hibernation because of it. Money, time and other ressources tend to vanish into the thin air at the two times the speed of normal. Almost everything stops. But this isn't that kind of good stopping, when you can rest and think what to do next. He causes panic, doubt and ineptness to do anything or think any good and constructive thoughts.
Mostly, when Unknown Future visits some place, it causes people to gather extra supplies. For any case,.. because you never know when you may need additional food or burning wood (even if your heating system is electrical), or batteries.. or.. ok, i guess you allready got the picture. And mostly he makes people to swear a lot. Like people, so do countries start to gather extra supplies. More money is gathered from people who anyway have only bare minimum to manage. Countries also start to gather extra weaponry. Well, you never know when these may come handy.
Some of these who have suffered because of the Unknown Future, think of it as the most modern thing let out of the Pandora's Box, but it ain't so. It was in the world much earlier, and actually last time when at the year of 1978 ordinary english entrepreneur named Peter found the above mentioned box, he suddenly felt the panic. He never touched the box and called to police that someone left a bomb alike object in his not very successful restaurant. About an quarter of hour later bombsquad took the object. No-one knows of what happened with it later. Yet, known is that Peter bought a gun and started to gather petroleum, batteries, rice and salted meat. Soon his business went into bankruptcy. Peter saw no hope anymore and shot his brains out with his brand new rifle.
Also no-one exactly knows of Unknown Future's whereabouts, but here and then people still say that he had again got someones soul, someones love,.. hope, money, time.. future.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Vampire Vid

Today i will feature an extra masterful, classically cool and just fun animation from students of Art Institute of California - San Francisco. In Deviant Art under the name of AiCA-SF .
Link to the film is here: http://aica-sf.deviantart.com/art/Scourge-Of-The-Vampire-66038854
Thank you for the makers!