Wintersemester 2008/09,

LAPOT

„Lapot“

 

 

The entire idea of the collection is based on the popular Serbian tradition; it is the story of Serbian custom, killing of the old people, when they were incapable to move or when they became a burden to their own family. This specific ritual was named by the Serbian people Lapot.

The ritual was a solemn affair and announced in neighbouring villages. “ In this village (name), from this house (name) there will be Lapot the people are invited to wake” In this house from which the old man or female was to be killed, everybody wore their best clothes, and so the old man, too. What was important the old man was not reluctant to die; on the contrary he was ready to submit him self to the custom.”-Mr.S.Trojanovich(anthropologist)

Lapot was spouse to be perform in the forest next to the big tree, the household used to prepare the bread which was used to put on mans or female head ; the oldest son had to hit the father in the head with hammer saying” I am not killing you, this bread do“.

 

In further research I tried to find sources in the Slavic mythology in which ritual killing of a person was a part of cult dedicated to the God Veles (a major Slavic god of earth, waters and the underworld); furthermore there were several descriptions of glories costume worn by the God was made of silver(The book of Veles). The Slavic mythology looms large in understanding the origins of a culture. Myths and legends reveal a people's innermost character, feelings, fears and desires. Thus, to understand the nature of Slavic peoples in its totality, one needs to look to Slavic mythology as it existed before the advent of Christianity. I try to incorporated also a variety of ideational elements connected to the rituals which are performed on funeral, such as making the ritual breads, clothes of deceased person, favourite objects .

 

The preserved magical meaning of Lapot in its original narrative and visual context is transformed and adapted to contemporary reality, becoming independent through the development or construction of forms, figures, motifs, magical object and statements, temporal codes of society, space, objects and functions of protagonists. The collection embrace a system of signs, symbols and beliefs from their original homeland also comprise elements of tribal and local beliefs, influences of different religions, traces of clothing taken and transformed into a new interpretation which have remained in narrative, visual harmony, artistic character and aesthetic value.

ProjektkategorieSemesterprojekt