Hora Ruşinii
Project details
- Year
- 2023
- Programme
- Bachelor – (de)Fine Art
- Practices
- social
- Minor
- Cultural Diversity
This work explores the feeling of shame that became associated with the Romanian identity after the fall of the communist regime in 1989. It depicts two human figures and their interaction. One is engaging in the traditional Romanian dance “hora” with the generational trauma, stereotypes, and coping mechanisms associated with the Romanian identity represented through different elements (portrait of the communist party leader, a raffia bag filled with bags, a bribery in the form of an envelope and newspaper titles from other European countries). The other human figure is sitting apart from the dance, observing it. The two figures look at each other, further emphasizing their positioning regarding the feeling of shame and attachment to the generational trauma. This work has been made to emphasize this “ruşine” (shame) phenomenon that is affecting Romanians, especially the impact it has on the young adult diaspora.
This could be me dancing with Ceauşescu and what he left behind, but this is not about him, it is about shame. This is about dancing with the elements that make you ashamed of being Romanian and the detachment from them. The one sitting could also be me, distant and tired, trying to make sense of the whole act. The false distance allows for a sense of objectivity, when, in reality, everything inside remains in its place, waiting for the next external trigger. This hora is meant to be a healing act, a liberation of emotion, a ritual of awakening, burial and requiem. With this, I invite Romanians to dance the hora ruşinii!
