Običaj

Performance

What appears to be a gesture of devotion is, in truth, a reinterpretation of history. Inspired by the stories of grandmothers and great-grandmothers, the performance takes a critical look at a Balkan tradition in which women washed men’s feet. A custom that was often described as ‘hospitality’, yet was deeply rooted in patriarchal hierarchies and subjugation. For generations, young women performed this ritual according to rules they had never chosen for themselves. In this work, the historical gesture is consistently reversed: what was once silent submission becomes silent protest. A symbol of dominance is transformed into a ritual of healing.

Technique: Enamel bowl, enamel pitcher, water

Photography: Jolly Schwarz
Outfit: Moritz Gottschalk
Partner: Gerd Prehofer