The performance was collaborative and fluid, blurring authorship boundaries. While I guided the process, contributions from others, like Maya taking on the role of Peperuda and Pauline assisting with filming, enriched the experience. The flexible nature of the ritual allowed for a shared, playful exploration that transcended the historical script, making it deeply personal. Gender subtly played a role, with Bai Stoyan, though male, embodying a connection to the landscape and herbs that mirrored feminine energies. The performance also featured contemporary and archival recordings of the Peperuda song, including the voice of Bulgarian ethnomusicologist Deniza Popova and archival recordings from the 1950s-60s, creating a bridge between past and present. Summer, God, Rain reflects on how we engage with fading spaces and memories, with wetness in both the bathhouse and the ritual symbolizing renewal and adaptability. It reimagines our relationship with architectural and emotional spaces, exploring how we might care for them even in decay.
The performance was collaborative and fluid, blurring authorship boundaries. While I guided the process, contributions from others, like Maya taking on the role of Peperuda and Pauline assisting with filming, enriched the experience. The flexible nature of the ritual allowed for a shared, playful exploration that transcended the historical script, making it deeply personal. Gender subtly played a role, with Bai Stoyan, though male, embodying a connection to the landscape and herbs that mirrored feminine energies. The performance also featured contemporary and archival recordings of the Peperuda song, including the voice of Bulgarian ethnomusicologist Deniza Popova and archival recordings from the 1950s-60s, creating a bridge between past and present. Summer, God, Rain reflects on how we engage with fading spaces and memories, with wetness in both the bathhouse and the ritual symbolizing renewal and adaptability. It reimagines our relationship with architectural and emotional spaces, exploring how we might care for them even in decay.