ancestral dreams | 2024
stainless steel, mild steel, barbed wire
‘As archaeologists dig deep into the past, it is not the events of historical time that we learn to treasure but the statues, ancient drawings, temples, and languages that tell of old beliefs.’
Collective Unconscious – a term coined by C. Jung, referring to the innate mental concepts, instincts, patterns and archetypes shared by humanity as a whole, inherited from our ancestral experience. This layer of the psyche can resurface to the conscious mind through certain symbols and archetypes in our dreams.
‘For the analogies between ancient myths and the stories that appear in the dreams of modern man are neither trivial nor accidental. They exist because the unconscious minds preserves the symbol-making capacity that once found expression in the beliefs and rituals of the primitive. And that capacity still plays a role of vital psychic importance. In more ways that we realise, we are dependent on the messages that are carried by such symbols, and both our attitudes and behavior are profoundly influenced by them.’
excerpts from Ancient Myths and Modern Man by Joseph L. Henderson Man and His Symbols – Carl Jung
tusau keser | 2024
video performance
Concept / Creative Direction: Alina R.J
DOP: Ayana Kulbaliyeva
Performer: Alina R.J
untitled [the sacred fire] | 2024
stainless steel, mild steel
This fire pit bowl draws inspiration from petroglyphs - rock carvings - found in Central Asia. Mainly gathered as visitors’ footage from Tamgaly, a historical landmark with more than 5000 petroglyphs now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these petroglyphs were then translated into a pattern and manifested into an object, combining both an ancient craft and modern technologies.
The themes of these ancient drawings were quite diverse, featuring people, animals, predominantly horses and wild arkars, scenes of day-to-day life, hunting, rituals and sacrifices. The pattern features a figure of Tengri, a sun- headed God of the sky or a personification of the Universe worshipped in Turkic regions.
Tengrism – an ancient religious belief practised by nomads of Central Asia that embodies early mythological and religious ideas associated with being in harmony with nature and its elemental forces, rooted in animistic and shamanic practices and supporting the ideas of panentheism – the divine omnipresence that transcends all beings as their Source and yet is immanent within all as their Substance.
Fire, as one of the natural elements, is sacred in Tengrism. Being considered an extension of the Sun, it was involved in many rituals of worship or spiritual cleansing. The circular shape of the fire pit reflects the cyclical nature of the Universe, time and all living spirits, while Fire as an omnipotent deity emphasises the cycle of birth, life and resurrection.
Ancestral worship was another fundamental element of Tengrism – usually a family would be buried in the same place, and spirits of ancestors, ‘aruakhs’, are believed to be the guides between the sky and the earth that protect and support their descendants. The base of the sculpture takes the shape of the ‘shanyrak’, both a structural element of a yurt – a traditional nomadic home – and a sacral element in Tengrism with rich symbolism and cultural significance, which has been passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom.
The sculpture is initially created to become a central element of the second performance of the series, which will involve a ritualistic practice around the fire as an act of worship towards Tengri, nature and the ancestors, where an object is being activated as a portal to bring ancient histories into a modern setting, emphasising the importance of preservation of one’s cultural heritage, beliefs and traditions.
i. SOREL
An evil deity of the forests, a tall skinny creature with crooked short legs ending in hooves. Having caught a person, he tickles him to death, and then sucks out all the blood and eats the flesh. He is married to Jeztyrnaq and in case someone manages to kill her, he would haunt this person to take revenge.
ii. JEZTYRNAQ
Jeztyrnaq is translated as ‘copper claw’ – another antagonistic and the most dangerous character in Kazakh folklore that usually appears as a very reserved and beautiful maiden wearing rich silk clothes decorated with gold and silver jewellery. Under the long sleeves, she hides her copper claws. Jeztyrnaq hypnotizes a person with a cold, unblinking gaze, and when he falls asleep, she uses her claws to cut his throat and drink blood. These creatures are incredibly vengeful and vindictive.
iii.UBBE
An evil spirit that lives underwater. He calls his victims by name and a man goes into the water against his own will, despite warnings from strangers, and drowns. When experiencing a feeling of fear in the water, the Kazakhs usually shouted: “Don’t touch me, Ubbe!” Then the evil spirit could leave the person alone.
whispers of the steppe
a sonic exploration of Kazakh folklore