Exhibition
10 September – 11 October 2024
Kino Šiška, Camera, Trg prekomorskih brigad 3, Ljubljana
Opening: Tuesday, 10 September, at 7 pm
Free admission.
Rave/performance
Tuesday, 10 September 2024, at 9 pm
Kino Šiška, Cathedral, Trg prekomorskih brigad 3, Ljubljana
Entry fee: 10 €
All proceeds will go to Zavod TransAkcija.
Curator: Tia Čiček
Trans(myth) is a processual project by Cat Jugravu, co-produced by Škuc Gallery, Kino Šiška and SCCA-Ljubljana, and facilitated by Zavod TransAkcija. It includes the exhibition Trans(myth) at Škuc Gallery (21. 8.–26. 9.) and the exhibition Trans(myth) Me Baby One More Time (10. 9.–11. 10.), accompanied by the rave-performance with the same title (10. 9.) at Kino Šiška. The project documents the formation of a temporary group of queer and trans* artists engaged with the (un)archival of queering Slovenian folklore, myth and crafts. Queer and trans* identity formation is a dynamic process characterised by ongoing self-discovery and expression, inherently processual. Uncovering queer potentialities in myth and folklore reclaims and reinterprets cultural narratives that have historically marginalised our identities. The project comprises three parts that document the creation, transformation and possible disappearance of the artwork rather than a singular output. This mirrors the cyclical disappearance of trans* and queer archives, while the collaborative nature of the project emphasises the resilience and re-emergence of these narratives.
The audiovisual installation at Kino Šiška offers insight into the community efforts fostered by Cat Jugravu’s careful and caring approach of working with diverse communities. Emphasising togetherness and belonging, which are usually part of the background of contemporary art production, they culminate in the collaborative practice of a rave. Wark in Raving[1] points out many of its benefits, which include the temporary healing of psychic damage from cognitive and affective labour, the opportunity for individuals to lose and find themselves, the creation of transitory kinship structures, and the ability to detach from fictional wholes and connect with other partial parts of selves. She describes it as a collaborative practice that makes it possible to endure life, a space for diverse needs, interests, and desires to be met, and a way for individuals to simultaneously dissociate from the world and discover things about it. Garcia-Mispireta in Together, Somehow[2] supports the notion that raves provide a sense of belonging and community, particularly for marginalised groups such as young, queer, and POC individuals. The socio-political implications address recession-era angst and alienation by offering refuge in collective effervescence. They are also portrayed as countercultural spaces that challenge mainstream norms and offer a sense of utopian escape from the mundane and everyday.
Trans(myth) stands because and for the local trans* community and includes stories and ideas created for immersive collective healing. Projects that aim to achieve such an effect can easily falter or fail; however, implementing community-centred contemporary art endeavours is central to keeping such production spaces responsible for their output and, more importantly, supporting the processes they implement.
Tia Čiček
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[1] Wark, McKenzie. 2023. Raving. Durham: Duke University Press.
[2] Garcia-Mispiereta, Luis Manuel. 2023. Together, Somehow: Music, Affect, and Intimacy on the Dancefloor. Durham: Duke Universit Press.
Cat Jugravu (1991, Romania) is an LGBTQIA+ activist, theatre-maker, poet, performer, and researcher of Romanian-Romani descent, working at the intersection of affective memory and remembrance. They studied Stage Acting at The National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, where they obtained a bachelor’s degree and went on to complete a master’s degree in Applied Theatre at the Mozarteum University Salzburg in 2023. Since 2018, Jugravu has been the co-founder and artistic director of the Queerdos Kollektiv in Berlin. Their work focuses on community-building, somatic art therapy and generative theatre methodology, addressing issues like gender-based violence, trans/homophobia, racism and xenophobia.
Living in Berlin since 2015, they use performance, deep bodywork and trauma politics to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and create inclusive spaces for marginalised voices. They are dedicated to amplifying LGBTQIA+ narratives and empowering individuals and communities through embodied artistic practices. Jugravu’s projects often explore the intersection of performance, trauma and social activism, aiming to develop new sociocultural methods of negotiation by centring queer bodies. (Photo: Johanna Mayrhofer)
Opening and exhibition view
Photo: Maša Pirc, Kino Šiška archive
Rave/performance
Photo: Maša Pirc, Kino Šiška archive
Artist: Cat Jugravu
Curator: Tia Čiček
Artist assistant: Pieter Defraene
Curatorial assistant: Elena Chirila
Participants: Katarina Babič Derenda, Nal Kocjan, Patrik Komljenović / Prof. Pederik Kunt, Aslan Lah, Hristijan Nashulovski, Nina Poljanšek, Spike_Pika Terpin, Akira Ve
Live music: DJ deathobsession, Andrei Raicu
Costumography: Hristijan Nashulovski
Cover image: Pieter Defraene with the help of AI
Co-production: Škuc Gallery, Centre for Urban Culture Kino Šiška, Zavod SCCA-Ljubljana, Zavod TransAkcija
The project is supported by the mobility programme Culture Moves Europe.
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
SCCA-Ljubljana programme is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the City of Ljubljana – Department for Culture.
Special thanks: Julija Potočnik, Jaka Podgoršek, Nina Poljanšek, Dominik Jellen, Toni Ofner, Johanna Mayrhofer, Magdalena Hofer
