Hyperborean-room Ballads-2008

The action in the video Hyperborean-room ballads (2008) takes place in a hotel room in Antwerp. During a telepathy séance, Bugge establishes contact with her father and his dog. A Congolese animal interpreter conducts the séance. The answers the interpreter provides tell us as much about herself as about the artist. The title of the work alludes to the myth of the Hyperborean people, who, according to Greek mythology, were a spiritual tribe who lived in perpetual sunshine at the North Pole. The further one retreated from the North Pole, the darker it became. As darkness descended, degeneration set in culminating in its material centre at the South Pole. In modern times, such ideas have been exploited in racist cultural theories and rhetoric.

Duration:20 min

Manuscript, Directing and Production:Liv Bugge

Animal Translator: Joelle Sambi

Contributors: Karsten Grønås, Nathan, Vibeke Jullum, Charlotte Blanche, Carlos Aires

Produced with support from: Norsk Kulturråd, Vederlagsfondet