MEDUSA
the new project
Medusa - new work for 2021
In 2018 Paka started thinking about Medusa, his next project. He wanted to get sculpture back into realms of real form (human head and snakes), and liked her conceptually.
The varying and often contradictive mythology surrounding Medusa, her status and affliction, have existed for 3000 years cross culturally in all artistic formats. More recently used in advertising, film computer games and political slur campaigns. Hideous gorgon, beautiful maiden, despotic killer, apotropaic symbol, patriarchal stereotype, Amazonian goddess, rape victim; what isn’t she? She has an undeniable celebrity; no stranger to any audience.
The paradoxes surrounding her and the preconceptions attached to an audience highlight the irrational or fictive nature of reality.
Paka spent a couple of periods in winter experimenting with bits and drawing plans and in the winter of 2020 started building the snakes.
This project, in development, aims to use the iconic image of a robotic Medusa, with an additional fire element, as a visual magnet to draw people into a theatre about the contemporary human condition.
“What defines her humanity? How does she manage to get through each day? What rituals does she cling too; do they help desensitize the feelings of disorientation, confusion and anxiety in her world devoid of autonomy? What would she say? Has she regrets? Are the snakes her friends? What sounds make up her world? How else might she communicate? What else does she need on stage to relate her story in a theatrical context?”
With the Medusa project Paka seeks to theatrically answer the above questions against this visual image of isolation in a seemingly meaningless world. To create a surreal scenario that allows an audience to digest their own isolated existence spiced with Absurdist humour.
The concept of co-dependent relationships exists; ‘built in’ as the fates of Medusa and her snakes are entwined for eternity. The contradicting mythological realities are theatrically conducive to an “every woman” character: ideally placed to develop a simple story with deep resonance to the contemporary society.
First tryout
of Medusas "Hair" in my workshop