Canadian-Ukrainian artist Taras Polataiko presented his new project 'Sleeping Beauty' in Kiev at The National Art Museum of Ukraine. The exhibition was held between 22 August and 9 September 2012. 

The idea of performance was nfluenced by an old story by Charles Perrault, where a young maiden is cursed to sleep for 100 years, only to be awakened by true love's kiss. 

 

Nataly Mykhailova Taras, what  themes in your creativity does the project "Sleeping Beauty " relate to?  Or the idea of the “Sleeping beauty”​​was spontaneous?

Taras Polataiko I always get my ideas spontaneously. But behind any spontaneity, there’s always a long process of chaotic reflections and life experiences, which eventually subimate into clear ideas. The idea appeared in the context of the show about patience. The Sleeping Beauty was one of many pieces I wanted to include in this show, each speaking of a different aspect of the patience as a form of human existence. The Sleeping Beauty, however is more about true love as a basis of life itself. I’m interested in the mystery of this sensation, when this intense emotion unites two people. Most of the time it happens completely unexpected. The culmination of it is a baby, which is continuation of life itself. And what is more important than life sustaining itself? 

 - The project is interesting because it attracts people who in their every-day-life (maybe)are  not related to the art: young girls for the role of “Sleeping Beauty” and the visitors of  the museum for the role of the “Prince”. Weren’t you worried? Because you entrusted the realisation of the  project to complete strangers, and, secondly, you are from now on responsible for the changes in their lives.

- I came up with a structure of the event. What happens within this structure is entirely out of my control. I have no scenario whatsoever. I offer the possibility for adults to participate in my performance. It is their choice. In this respect, is important to stress, that there is no money changing hands in the project. Nobody, including me is making any money. Everyone paritipates on the voluntary basic. It was the matter of principle from the very beginning because the money spoils the fairytale.

- You had the opportunity to talk with the girls - contenders for the role of the Beauty. What were your selection criteria?

- I’ve posted the announcement about the performance on the Museum’s we site. Over 100 women volunteered to come to the interview. No specific requirements. Everyone over 18 and single was welcomed. About 80% dropped off when they realized that I’m not joking about the marriage contract. In the end over 20 women came to an interview. Their motivation was very interesting to me, so I asked them that question.

 

 

Vera Ganzha Taras, you mentioned that this project was made specifically for The National art museum of Ukraine. Why did you choose this location and why do you think it was most appropriate for it?

Taras Polataiko National Museum invited me and I came up with this work.

– So don't plan to repeat this performance elsewhere (in other museums or other countries)?

- I’d like to do this piece in different countries. . Somehow the project really shows a lot about society. Each culture is different, so the show would be a completely different experience in each country. In Ukraine it revealed the most gentle beautiful and magical qualities of the human soul, as well as the ugliest ones. Full spectrum. I’ve met and became friends with most wonderful gentle souls who contacted me offering their help with the project because they liked it and wanted to live in the fairytale. And there were also pretty ugly beaurocratic corrupt cowardly creatures who were trying to shut down the fairytale to protect their asses. It is too raw, sincere and real for them I guess.

There is a cursed beauty in Gogol’s “Viy”, based on an ancient folk tale – a quintessential Ukrainian narrative in my opinion. When the Ministry of Culture was trying to shut my fairytale down one day before the opening, it came to me that I'm Khoma - the monk who is reading sermons for the cursed beauty in the church for three nights. He draws the magic circle around himself on the church floor to make himself invisible to the hideous monsters who are trying to break in, as he is praying for the Beauty within the enchanted circle.

It’s really interesting to watch Euronews TV coverage of the Sleeping Beauty. The same video is being interpreted in completely different unrelated ways in 11 different languages. I’ve posted some on my Facebook.

I’m also thinking of doing “Amor and Psyche” and reverse the gender roles.

– Why did you decide to invite 5 Beauties instead of one – what does it change? (Plus you are refering to a political context of the project where Ukraine – is Sleeping Beauty, who are waiting to be awakened).

– Orinially I wanted to have just one Beauty, just like in the fairytale. But so many bright, brave and gentle women volunteered for the project, that I felt like it would be unfair to choose just one. I had fifteen days for the project, so I decided to choose five women. If you divide fifteen by three, you get five. Everything happens on a third try in the fairytales. So in the end five brave souls got to sleep for three days each. And I’m so so grateful to these bright and beautiful Ukrainian girls who had courage to be in such unusual situation. I also want to say that I’m dedicating this work to my beautiful and very smart daughter Maryna Polataiko.

– What about the fact that Prince turned out to be a woman. What kind of happy end for this situation can be in country where same-sex unions are  forbidden? Doesn't it break the conditions of your performance (participants obliged by a legal contract to marry).

– They can marry in any country, which allows same sex marriages. In fact, they can easily get a refugee status based on this (violation of human rights). They’re international media darlings now, so the Embassies of the Democratic countries should be lining up to welcome them.

–  Do you continue to monitor the relationships of couples cteated during this show?

– Not really. Even though their relationship is part of the fairytale I’ve created, and therefore is a continuation of my art, I’m not going to impose myself on them in any way. The same way I’ve limited my artistry when it came to the decisions about Beautie’s dresses and make–up. I just said that the dresses must be white. The rest was up to the girls and the designers. I’d like remain friends with all of them though. We’ve been through an amazing magical experience together after all. Their fairytale continues, and my fairytale is over till I do my next project ) I’m a bit jealous in a very very kind way ) And I wish that their fairytale never ends.

– You said the goal of this project is to turn the fairy tale into reality. But still you are dealing with real unknown people (particapants) and real world. So how do you see the artistic value of your project? What is the main difference between this project and reality shows on TV, for instance?

– The reality shows belong within the rigid and dumb territory of commercial TV. This is art. No money changed hands in my project, and if you put your mind to it a bit, you’ll see how many semantic layers are intertwined in it, in spite of its seeming simplicity. The fairytale is an ancient archetype of human behavior after all. It’s much better to read Jung than to watch reality TV. I don’t watch TV.

– Can you identify the difference (if any) between perception of your performance here in Ukraine and in other countries? What opinions are you facing with?

– Not really, except for some very unfortunate dumb, ill-educated, jealousy driven comments I got from certain members of the local art community during the round table discussion, organized by the Museum.  But that’s understandable. The work went way beyond the little self-congratulating bubble of the local art world, and it’ll take time for it to trickle down. Often the art crowd thinks of itself as very free and radical, but very often it turns out to be the most hypocritical conservative society of mutual ass kissing, especially when faced with something new. It’s like Bob Dylan once said: “Something is happening, and you don’t know what it is… Do you?... Mister Johns…”

 

 

 

 

 

Nataly Mykhailova

Vera Ganzha

Photo: Taras Polataiko