Installation on public space
Venue: Ada Bojana, Ulcinj (Montenegro)
Title of the project: Kulshedra
Techical details: artificial leather, polyester;various dimensions
Imagine walking alone along the coast, enjoying the view of the bright blue sea and the soothing sound of waves… Step by step, you walk along a wild beach, treading the sand under your feet, calmly. You are in the middle of an environment that looks incredibly attractive and meek, where nature excels in showing a better side of its face and where everything else seems to be subordinated to that beauty only. All of a sudden, you notice something unusual – something (or someone) that threatens to disrupt the idyll of your peaceful walk by the sea. A larger-than-life creation, reminiscent of a massive, enigmatic wormhole, stretches before your eyes and your feet. What kind of behemoth is this and how did this monster surface out of the sea right here, in front of you, on a beautiful sunny day?
Instead of running away headfirst in fear and disbelief, you decide to get closer to it. Neither dead nor alive, the “thing” turns out to be nothing of a monster. Upon your closer observation, you realize that this unusual, perhaps abandoned object is something more than a mere pile of plastic bags and bottles (often collected during the summer and then thrown away or left forgotten by negligent tourists). What you are witnessing instead is an artfully crafted object, spanning an impressive five meters in length. Ingeniously folded in half and meticulously sewn on one side, it exposes an intricate construction that leaves the front and back intentionally open. Thus, it imparts a surreal and immersive quality, which triggers your attention even more. You feel like being almost invited to enter this tunnel-like sculpture half dug up and filled with sand. Why? Because this soft, immobile creature (if it is to be called a “sculpture” at all) evokes the sensation of stepping into another, alternate reality within it. In light of this scenario, you might be left pondering: within this enigmatic “wonderland” – where did Alice vanish to?
The sculpture’s unique material further enhances its otherworldly appeal. Fashioned from a lustrous, stretchy black fabric often playfully referred to as “fake leather,” it adds a touch of mystique and luxury to the piece. The inky black surface undulates like a cosmic void, inviting contemplation and exploration. Intriguingly, the object is not limited to this single fabric: smaller, complementary forms emerge from the “black abyss,” crafted from a stretchy, viscose material in bold red and pink hues. These vibrant accents introduce a dynamic and contrasting dimension to the mysterious form. Placed in a horizontal position along the seashore at the so-called Long Beach (Velika Plaža), this black object is inviting viewers to ponder the interplay of colors and textures in the vision of its creator. Here, amidst the surreal maritime landscape of Ada Bojana, on the southernmost tip of Montenegro, where the dunes create a dynamic backdrop for the object’s installation, Brigita Antoni has realized a site-specific project that transcends the boundaries of traditional (public) sculpture and becomes an interactive experience revolving around the figure of the gorgon Medusa and the related topic of Gigantomachy – from a uniquely Adriatic perspective.
The theme of the Gigantomachy, depicting the battle between gods and giants, enjoyed significant popularity in ancient Greek art. It symbolically represented the triumph of reason and order over chaos. The victory of the Olympian gods over the giants, originally personifying uncontrolled natural forces, particularly volcanoes, was seen by ancient authors as a victory of the Greeks over the barbarians. In contrast to this widely accepted mythological narrative, Brigita Antoni's project revolves around a lesser-known version of the battle, featuring two captivating dragon-like characters: the male protagonist representing reason and order (dragua) triumphing over the “barbaric” female protagonist symbolizing chaos (kulshedra). Rooted in a widespread legend throughout the Albanian-speaking Balkans, this story showcases a formidable female dragon believed to be responsible for natural catastrophes and resulting disorder in the world. The primary “civilizing” role of her male counterpart is to engage in combat and subdue this female monster, thereby restraining her capricious tendencies (and keeping her under his control).
What distinguishes kulshedra is not only its role in mythology but also its striking and grotesque appearance. Kulshedra is renowned for its awe-inspiring presence, and not only due to her immense size. Typically depicted as a colossal serpent with 7 to 12 heads, her face and body are veiled in fiery red, woolly hair, giving her an otherworldly aura. Her long, hanging breasts trail along the ground, adding to her mystique. Associated with natural elements and unfavorable weather conditions, she dwells in locations tied to water, fire, earth (especially the underworld), droughts, and storms. One of the most compelling facets of kulshedra’s myth is her ability to breathe forth fire from every one of her menacing heads. As she unleashes this fiery display, it’s said that storm clouds gather ominously in the sky, heralding her presence and role as an ancient storm demon.
Does this exclusively imply kulshedra’s negative, destructive character, or could it reveal something deeper about her resistance to humanity’s attempts to subdue and manipulate nature in accordance with its own desires? Is it possible that – like the ancient Gorgon Medusa – kulshedra, a female dragon originating from Albanian mythology, serves as an apotropaic figure? In other words, does she actually protect the sanctuary of nature (instead of destroying it) by averting harm, with the implication being that the harm might come from none other than a man himself, as Antoni suggests? Possibly a man who happens to be both a highlander and a sailor at the same time?
The portrayal of kulshedra as an ancient female storm demon raises questions about the connection between myth, gender, and nature, and how this relates to the biased interpretations among the Albanian-speaking community and its environmental or meteorological beliefs. What could be the cultural and even existential implications of such an interpretation? The issue gets complicated even further by the fact that, beyond mythology, the term “kulshedra” is used metaphorically in the Albanian language to describe a quarrelsome or argumentative woman. This figure reflects values projected onto women, highlighting the region’s historical and deeply ingrained sexist approach to gender-divided human relationships. Thus, it connects ancient legends to contemporary expressions.
Antoni’s project, which takes kulshedra as a cultural metaphor, seeks to expose and eventually overcome the popular stereotype woven around this mythological figure and projected onto the identity and fate of women in the region. In essence, it sheds light on how this usage reflects societal attitudes towards strong-willed or assertive women within the context of unjustified and persistent silencing, marginalization, or neglect of their social role and significance, beyond their roles in biological reproduction and household duties.
While Antoni has designed her public sculpture as a “soft and ephemeral” intervention by the coast, this doesn’t diminish the strength of her primary objective: to generate awareness about the rebellion of Gaia, or mother Earth, against the stark indicators of a climate catastrophe – or, perhaps, a climate rebirth – which we, as human beings, are bound to experience and must confront to avoid being engulfed by it. Antoni’s fervent, nearly explosive call to embrace our own inner monsters and ride them heroically, akin to the ancient Chinese teachings, offers another means of responding to the age-old wisdom embodied by the Ouroboros in pursuit of wholeness: the one that defines and redefines our humanity, and its unavoidable cyclical renewal.
So, do not worry too much! Keep walking along the coast – and consume your own tail in the name of destruction and rebirth.
Kulshedra is taking care of you.
text written by: Marko Stamenkovic
