Anica Vučetić | visual artist
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The exhibition THE FALL (video environment, 2013.), Exhibition Room of the Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade
An Allegory of Psychic Transformation
Stevan Vuković
In both the conceptual and the spatial sense, this exhibition is designed as a totality, whose elements were developed in relation to the whole. It exteriorizes the inner processes of the artist, in a manner which makes her possible to walk the participant through the set of ambiental installations containing moving images displaced from the reality in which they were produced, and denaturalized by the change in speed, orientation and size. Their allegorical content has roots in the artist’s involvement with Jungian psychology, though it carries deeply personal meanings.
As Annette Lagler noticed “the exhibition space is for Anica Vučetić the measure, delimitation and metaphor for mental procedures – as for instance dreams, memories and desires”[1]. Each of Anica Vučetić’s works is an exercise in active imagination, assimilating unconscious contents and voicing those sides of the personality that are rarely heard, through a form of self-expression. She processes unconscious contents, and constructs (still and moving) images and objects, to be placed as focus points in ambiental installations which she develops from specific spatial scripts.
In the first room, at the beginning of the visitor’s journey through the integrated sequence of ambiental settings, there is the swirl of some liquid, darker and thicker than water. It is projected in a loop, onto a round surface of three meters in diameter, facing the visitor in a fully darkened space. It spins slowly, in a hypnotizing manner, and, since it has dimensions larger than human, it produces the effect of drawing the visitor into an alternate reality. No illusionism is involved – that alternate reality cannot be seized by the gaze, but only invoked in the memory of the viewer.
Addressing Anica Vučetić’s work, Jovan Despotović once wrote that a "narrow passage should take us from one level of reality to another, from a collective state into an individual experience, from physical into sensuous space, from natural chaos to aesthetic order"[2]. There is a passage in this exhibition as well, and the entry point to it is that video evoking the psychic state in which all the "fixed, settled aspects of the personality which are rigid and static are reduced or led back to their original, undifferentiated condition as part of the process of psychic transformation”.[3]
So, the first video installation presents a visualization of the tenebrous chaotic psychic state which used to be called nigredo by the alchemists, which “"has its parallel in mystical literature as the 'dark night of the soul' or in mythology as the descent into the underworld.”[4] In that state, according to Jung, one faces "the umbra soils or sol niger of the alchemists, the black shadow which everybody carries with him, the inferior and therefore hidden aspect of the personality, the weakness that goes with every strength, the night that follows every day, the evil in the good."[5]
The following video installation is shown in a space quite lighter, for the walls are painted white, and the moving image has brighter colors. It presents a view of a female body struggling with the surface of some clear, pellucid liquid matter, passing through it and getting reabsorbed by it, in turns. The liquid mass is vertically positioned, and denaturalized, and the projection is blown up, in unconventional aspect ratio. There is sound of water filling the space, and it corresponds to the movements of the person shown on the screen, but it is slowed down as the flow of images is.
"The water of life flows again", only when, as Marie-Luise von Franz wrote, "the individual succeeds in making contact with the unconscious, or one could say 'with the dynamism of the unconscious', and especially with its vivifying, inspiring aspect".[6] The encounter with and the assimilation of the shadow ‘gives one a body’,[7] caught in the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious. The outcome of the struggle is to be a new personality, but not as “a third thing midway between conscious and unconscious” – it should be both together, and “since it transcends consciousness it can no longer be called ‘ego’ but must be given the name of ‘self’”.[8]
A long dark corridor leads to the last video, which is displayed in very small dimensions, so that at first one notices it only as some light at the end of the way. From close, an image of a room with a large window in the center of the frame shows, and suddenly, in irregular intervals, an ethereal figure appears in that image, gets lifted up, in a slow motion manner, and disappears at the upper part of the frame. The figure resembles the one in the preceding video, which indicates it is of the artist. There is a sound to it, in synchronicity with the image, but it is unrecognizable.
The female figure in the scene is not only defying gravity, as the liquid mass defied gravity in the previously encountered video, but is even reversing its effect. A fall is turned into a slant upward.
That is counterintuitive, and seems as counternatural, but for Jung “individuation is an opus contra naturam”,[9] so is the synthesis of the self, which is “the goal of the individuation process”.[10] The image the self, as the archetype of wholeness, therefore often appears in the fantasy as such “a super-ordinated or ideal personality”[11] which in this instance reverses her fall.
Stevan Vuković
[1] Annette Lagler: “Anica Vučetić”, pref. cat. "Ambientale Werke", Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, April 8 – May 13, 2001.
[2] Jovan Despotović: “Anica Vučetić/Nostalgia”, pref. cat. “Nostalgia”, Museo de Arte Contemporanea da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Anica Vučetić, December 1995 - February 1996.
[3] Edward Edinger:. Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy, Chicago, IL: Open Court, 1994, page 10.
[4] June Singer: Androgyny - The Opposites Within, York Beach: Nicolas-Hays, 2000, page 101.
[5] Carl Gustav Jung: “Psychology of the Transference”, in: Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (editors): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 16, New York: Pantheon Books, page 219.
[6] Marie-Luise von Franz: On Divination and Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance (Studies in Jungian Psychology), Toronto: Inner City Books, 1980, page 20.
[7] Carl Gustav Jung: “Psychology of the Transference”, op. cit, page 238.
[8] Ibid, page 264.
[9] Carl Gustav Jung: “Concerning Rebirth”, in Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (editors): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9, New York: Pantheon Books, page 146.
[10] Carl Gustav Jung: “The Psychology of the Child Archetype", in Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (editors): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9, New York: Pantheon Books, page 278.
[11] Carl Gustav Jung: “Definitions”, in Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (editors): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 6, New York: Pantheon Books, page 540.
Izložba PAD (video ambijent, 2013.), Salon Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu
Alegorija psihičke transformacije
Stevan Vuković
I u konceptualnom i u prostornom vidu, ova izložba je obrazovana kao totalitet, čiji elementi su razvijeni u odnosu spram njene celine. Ona ospoljava unutrašnje procese umetnice, na način kojim se omogućava da se posetioci provedu kroz niz ambijentalnih instalacija sa pokretnim slikama, izmeštenim iz realnosti u kojima su bile proizvedene i denaturalizovanim promenom brzine, orijentacije i formata. Njihov alegorijski sadržaj ima korene u umetničinom bavljenju jungijanskom psihologijom, iako u stvari prenosi duboko lična značenja.
Kao što je Anete Lagler zapazila, “izlagački prostor je za Anicu Vučetić mera, granica i metafora mentalnih procesa, – kao, na primer, snova, sećanja i želja”[1]. Svaki rad Anice Vučetić je izveden putem aktivne imaginacije, asimilacijom nesvesnih sadržaja i davanjem glasa onim stranama ličnosti koje se retko manifestuju kroz samoizražavanje. Ona prerađuje nesvesne sadržaje, i konstruiše (statične i pokretne) slike i objekte, koje postavlja u fokus ambijentalnih instalacija, razvijenih na osnovu specifičnih prostornih scenarija.
U prvoj prostoriji, na početnoj tački putovanja posetilaca kroz integrisani niz ambijentalnih postavki, zatiče se vrtlog neke tečnosti, tamnije i gušće od vode. On je projektovan u neprekidnom ponavljanju, na kružnu površinu prečnika tri metra, sa kojom se posetilac suočava u potpuno zamračenom prostoru. Okreće se polako, na hipnotišući način, i, pošto ima dimenzije veće od ljudskih, proizvodi učinak uvlačenja posmatrača u neku drugu realnost. To nije iluzionizam – u tu drugu realnost se ne može prodreti pogledom, već se ona može samo evocirati u sećanju posmatrača.
Tematizujući rad Anice Vučetić, Jovan Despotović je jednom pisao o uskom prolazu koji "treba da nas izvede iz jednog nivoa realnosti u drugi, iz kolektivnog stanja u individualni doživljaj, iz fizičkog u čulni prostor, iz prirodnog haosa u estetički red."[2] Takav prolaz postoji i u okviru ove izložbe, i njegova polazna tačka je taj video koji evocira psihičko stanje u kome su svi "fiksni, nataloženi aspekti ličnosti, koji su rigidni i statični, u toku procesa psihičke transformacije svedeni na svoje početno, neizdiferenciran stanje, ili su tim tokom dovedeni nazad do njega”.[3]
Tako prva instalacija predstavlja vizualizaciju mračnog haotičnog psihičkog stanja, koje su alhemisti zvali nigredo, a koje “"u mističkoj literaturi ima pandan u 'tamnoj noći duše' a u mitologiji u silasku u podzemni svet.”[4] U takvom stanju se, po Jungu, dešava suočenje sa "umbra soils ili sol niger alhemičara, sa crnom senkom koju svako nosi sa sobom, sa podređenim i time skrivenim aspektima ličnosti, sa slabošću koja prati svaku snagu, sa noći koja prati svaki dan, sa zlom u dobrom."[5]
Sledeća video instalacija je prikazana u prostoru znatno svetlijem, sa zidovima obojenim u belo, i pokretnim slikama mnogo svetlijeg kolorita. Ona prikazuje žensko telo koje se bori sa površinom neke bistre, prozračne tečnosti, naizmenično prolazeći kroz nju i postajući ponovo zahvaćenom njome. Ta tečna masa je vertikalno postavljena, i denaturalizovana, a projekcija je veoma uvećana, i postavljena u nekonvencionalne proporcije. Zvuk vode ispunjava prostor, i u skladu je sa pokretima osobe prikazane projekcijom, ali je usporen upravo kao i tok slika.
"Voda života ponovo teče" samo onda, kao što je pisala Marie-Luiz fon Franc, "kada neka osoba uspostavi kontakt sa nesvesnim, ili, moglo bi se reći, 'sa dinamikom nesvesnog', i posebno sa njegovim oživljavajućim, inspirišućim aspektom".[6] Suočenje sa senkom i njena asimilacija ‘daje osobi telo’,[7] zahvaćeno borbom između svesnog i nesvesnog. Rezultat te borbe bi trebalo da bude nova osoba, ali ne kao “nešto treće, na pola puta između svesnog i nesvesnog” – već oba istovremeno, i pošto “prevazilazi stanje svesnosti ne može se više zvati ‘egom’ već joj se mora dati naziv ‘sopstva’”.[8]
Dugi mračni hodnik vodi ka poslednjem videu, koji je prikazan u veoma malim dimenzijama, tako da se na prvi pogled opaža samo kao svetlo na kraju puta. Iz blizine, vidi se soba sa širokim prozorom u centru kadra, da bi se, iznenada i u nepostojanim intervalima, eterična figura pojavljivala u dnu kadra, podizala se, veoma sporo, i nestajala pri vrhu kadra. Ta figura liči na onu iz prethodnog videa, što daje indikaciju da predstavlja lik umetnice. To prati zvuk, sinhronizovan sa slikom, ali nerazaznatljiv.
Ženska figura u ovoj sceni ne samo da negira zakon gravitacije, kao što je to činila tečna masa u prethodnom videu, već čak preokreće njen efekat. Pad se pretvara u neku vrstu skoka. To je kontraintutivno i deluje protivno prirodi, ali po Jungu je “individuacija opus contra naturam”,[9] pa je to onda i sinteza sopstva, koja je “cilj individuacionog procesa”.[10] Slika sopstva, kao arhetipa celovitosti, se stoga često pojavljuje u fantaziji kao takva “osoba višeg ranga ili idealna osoba”[11] kakva u ovom slučaju preokreće svoj pad.
Stevan Vuković
[1] Annette Lagler: “Anica Vučetić”, predgovor katalogu izložbe "Ambientale Werke", Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, 8. april – 13. maj 2001.
[2] Jovan Despotović: “Anica Vučetić/Nostalgija”, predgovor katalogu izložbe “Nostalgia”, Museo de Arte Contemporanea da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Anica Vučetić, decembar 1995. - februar 1996.
[3] Edward Edinger:. Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy, Chicago, IL: Open Court, 1994, strana 10.
[4] June Singer: Androgyny - The Opposites Within, York Beach: Nicolas-Hays, 2000, strana 101.
[5] Carl Gustav Jung: “Psychology of the Transference”, u: Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, i William McGuire (c): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 16, New York: Pantheon Books, strana 219.
[6] Marie-Luise von Franz: On Divination and Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance (Studies in Jungian Psychology), Toronto: Inner City Books, 1980, strana 20.
[7] Carl Gustav Jung: “Psychology of the Transference”, navedeno delo, strana 238.
[8] Ibid, strana 264.
[9] Carl Gustav Jung: “Concerning Rebirth”, u Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (urednici): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9, New York: Pantheon Books, strana 146.
[10] Carl Gustav Jung: “The Psychology of the Child Archetype", u Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire (urednici): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9, New York: Pantheon Books, strana 278.
[11] Carl Gustav Jung: “Definitions”, u Sir Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, i William McGuire (urednici): The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 6, New York: Pantheon Books, strana 540.
(napomena: ovo je prevod teksta koji je u originalu pisan na engleskom, pa su izdanja dela navođena uglavnom na engleskom, mada su pri prevodu konsultovani i izvorni tekstovi C. G. Junga na nemačkom)
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