Bear Slayer. Reread a Good Book!
Installation, 2012
Audio recording of an excerpt from the epic poem:
Dramatic adaptation: Tengyo Kura (Riga Secondary School of Cultures),
Sound: Jēkabs Volatovskis (PB.lv),
Cast: Tengyo Kura, Aleksandra Bačurina, Sīmanis Jēkabsons (Riga Secondary School of Cultures).
The project is based of the Japanese translation (1954) of Andrejs Pumpurs’ epic poem Lāčplēsis (Bear Slayer, 1888). The version was translated by Ippei Fukuro and published by Kodansha in a publishing run of 400 copies. The book was acquired by Uģis Nastevičs several years ago, on a Japanese online auction site. The epic poem Bear Slayer (2012) was illustrated by the students of Riga Secondary School of Cultures.
As we step as far away as possible from the familiar character of Bear Slayer, the chrestomathic illustrations by Ģirts Vilks and the classic stanzas, we discover both a 21st Century comic book superhero and a universal fairy tale character who can speak any language – even Japanese. And why not? “Lāčplēsis” is a universal story – we all have common mythical roots, narratives of fighters characterized by superpowers, fateful passions and decisive battles.
When I asked Tengyo why the voices of “Lāčplēsis” characters sound like they do, he answered that he has been brought up with Japanese animation films and therefore therecording of the epic poem has kept with the best traditions of anime. He tells that Japanese appreciate “voice actors” – a tradition that is known both in Noh theatre where the actors on the stage and the actors telling the story are different persons, and in silent film which used to be shown with narrators acting “live”; as well as animation today, where the voices of characters are important and the best voice actors become extremely popular. (I.C.)
Artist's Bio:
Izolde Cēsniece s an artist and educator. She graduated from the Riga College of Applied Arts and the Department of Scenography at the Art Academy of Latvia. Since the 1990s Cēsniece has created stage design for plays as well as the design for the international theatre festival “Homo Novus”, she has also taken part in the “LN Women’s league” introducing a feminist perspective to the arts. In the last decade Cēsniece has worked with socially and politically engaged art, written for the cultural press and now teaches arts at the Riga High School of Cultures. Izolde Cēsniece’s performances, installations and site-specific objects are often devoted to recent socio-political issues or the clash between deep-rooted traditions and contemporary changes. Her strategy is to bring up conflict in a humorous or playful way, thus suggesting a solution of “the one who changes will persist”. (I.A.)