(Pigeon-tamer Maria)
Mai Sööt
15.6.-8.7.12
Linnagalerii, Tallinn
Installation and movie about Virgin Mary and doves
The gallery space is incredibly dirty, there are piles of bird droppings along the walls, and nothing else similar to visual art than some few tiny photos of a woman and some dove figures. Now how can this be at all related to the sublime and pure?
Behind a curtain a story is told. A crowd of pigeons watch the story over and over again, but you are invited to sit down and watch it together with them. The video show a performance by the artist, on the topic of how Virgin Mary became pregnant. By some traditions she was visited by the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove, connecting to her through her ear. Doves have many different symbolic meanings, being messengers of peace, but also messagers of dirt and diseases. Because of their dealings with food garbage and their droppings some call doves flying rats. At the same time there are discussions whether Virgin Mary really was and whether she remained a virgin after becoming pregnant.
The artist wants to get to know the human being Mary. How it would be like to be impregnated by a dove, how it would be like with all accusations by others. How will you look at doves after an experience like that? Exiting from the videoroom the piles of doveshit has achieved a different meaning. I am not sure what, but the shit is not just shit anymore.
