Transfigurations

The performance was a visual essay whose starting point was the pentagram – a five-pointed star, traditionally considered a magical and protective symbol. The performance addressed the diverse cultural and political contexts in which the five-pointed star has functioned and continues to function as a symbol.

I cited pagan traditions – the pentagram as a symbol of the goddess Venus, the use of the five-pointed star in Christian and communist symbolism, and the European Union flag. June 8, the date of the performance, marked the anniversary of the referendum on ratifying Poland's accession to the European Union, which took place in 2003.

The culminating moment was the unfurling of a banner commemorating the day on which Polish women and men decided to join the European Union. While the recording of "Ode to Joy" with Ukrainian lyrics played, the audience was treated to a two-toned drink – blue and yellow. With each subsequent playback, more false notes crept into the melody, and it lost its optimistic mood and its resonant vision of a bright future for European countries, particularly those of the former Soviet bloc.

Through the use of props and gestures, the performance referred to the past and future of Europe, including the history of Poland, and posed a question about the ideals of the European Union, such as community and democratic values, in the face of currently resurgent regimes.

photo: M. Borucka