"A dilapidated chapel in the Šumava Mountains with a torn image of the Virgin Mary, her face streaked with rain and marked by rust. I stood there in awe, amazed at how, despite these adverse circumstances, this completely nameless and unknown place radiated spirituality, not only of the Christian faith, but spirituality in general. The calm, soothing gaze of the Madonna surrounded by rust was like our inner desire for peace surrounded by constant uncertainty."
The choreographer's personal experience, together with the idea of a precarious state between peace and unrest, and the figure of the Virgin Mary, symbolizing the higher power of good, became the starting point for the solo performance To the Madonna with Rust. The Madonna becomes the link between the images of the performance and offers a refuge of peace for both the creators and the audience. The performance conveys in its physical interpretation the eternal dialogue between good and evil in the forms of calm and anxiety, and through solo singing, dance, and a combination of spiritual and original electronic music, it attempts to answer the question: what is it like to experience something that transcends us spiritually?
Johana Pocková's solo performance is an atmospheric pursuit of memory and an authentic journey to explore (not only) Christian spirituality through movement, live singing, music, and the space in which they resonate.
The production is part of the South Specific festival program.
