May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary
During the month of May a daily ritual is conducted by women. The video shows fragment from life of inhabitants of Wieniawa - a commune of small villages situated in central Poland.
The image of people singing under the statue of Mary has always accompanied me. It is very characteristic of the Polish May landscape. I also as a small boy participated in devotions to the Virgin Mary together with my mother and grandma. We carried flowers for Mary, decorated the figurine, we sang. Now, from the perspective of years, I look at it in such a way that the May service is such a moment of respite during the day, mainly for women, when after a hard day's work they have a moment of freedom from the strongly patriarchal environment in which they function. It is women who lead these services. They are priestesses. Is this, however, absolute freedom? In my video work, I would like to refer to this.
Duration: 5'30", loop
Format: Full HD video
Two channel video projection
Audio: stereo
Credits: directed by Piotr Piasta; filmed by Michal Siczek&Piotr Piasta; edited by Piotr Piasta; sound by Piotr Piasta
Year of production: 2016
Exhibition history of the work includes: Laterale Film Festival, Cosenza, Italy, 11-13 June 2018; 'Rally of Young Researchers of Culture / New themes of art history' at the Institute of Art History, University of Wroclaw, Poland 11 May 2018; Balkan Can Kino, Video Art International Selection VOL.II, Athens, Greece, 13 April, 2018; 21. International Film Festival ZOOM - ZBLIZENIA in Jelenia Gora, Poland, 23 February 2018.
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