Vigil Custody
OSTRUŽINA / Zden Brungot Svíteková & SVUNG research group / Kinga Szemessy, Luca Borsos, Napsugár Trömböczky
This work explores the complex interaction between the human body and the landscape—a space where forces of connection, movement, and layered human interests intersect. The contact between stone and skin becomes a site where perception is not only seen but physically felt, and where agency flows in both directions.
Stone and human—two bodies, two entities. One considers itself alive and organic, and regards the other as inert and lifeless.
Can stones teach us how to be better humans?
The mind of this project touches the bonds between humans and the earth, grounded in attentiveness to material and ecological realities: the texture of matter, the agency of time, and the quiet turbulence of place. Its hands trace how land, time, and human presence fold into one another, layered with intention and meaning. Its body reflects on our relationality with the more-than-human—encountering that other without othering. It searches for a restless safety and an urgent calmness found in the encounter between geological “eternity” and human impermanence—grappling with both blissful insignificance and haunting harmful impactfulness.
The artistic research explores beyond-disciplinary possibilities of a potential participatory performance, collaborating with the landscape and its elements. It is composed in a conversation between movement—whether intentional or organically formed—object animation and being animated by objects, and; morphed texts that uncover poetry in geological descriptions and factuality rooted in the imaginary.
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created by: Kinga Szemessy, Luca Borsos, Napsugár Trömböczky, Zden Brungot Svíteková
production: OSTRUŽINA z.s., SVUNG research group
supported by: the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic and Culture Moves Europe Individual Mobility grant.
The mobility project was funded by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
partners: SE.S.T.A , PLACCC Festival
The project draws on bodies of work from previous residencies The Forces That Move (2023) at ACL (GL), supported by FPU, National Recovery Plan and Creative Europe, Techniques of Gaze / Sutures, Rifts and Faults | 1 700 Millions years of moves; and… thousands of hidden directions, an entire system of lines that incline it towards dance (2024) at BIRCA (DK) supported by Statens Kunstfond and Creative Europe.
Thank you to: Barnabás Korbely, Girts Stinkulis, Mário Olšavský, Andreas Hoffmann, Susanne Danig, the colleagues from the BIRCA Women Residency 2024 and the Island Connect project, as well as all those who left their imprint on this journey.
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Vigil Custody will be presented at Korespondance 2025, within the framework of Green Streets of Europe, of which SE.S.T.A is one of the partners.
It will be featured in the festival program as a Carte Blanche on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13.