Goodnight Stories
An illustrated book for adults? Stories? Whoever reads such things these days!
Maybe for the very reason that once upon a time the child within was killed by rules, prohibitions, humiliations and other socially acceptable oppression.
Maybe for the very reason that we wanted to grow up as quickly as possible, so that we would be small and helpless no longer.
Maybe for the very reason that we are grown-ups, and grown-ups do not read stories.
Pravljice za lahko noč / Goodnight Stories is a book about small, apparently innocent acts of oppression that upbringing wages upon us. Sometimes so commonplace and irrelevant that we paid no attention to them, or maybe we suppressed them in our subconscious, and accepted this as something normal. This book is not about physical abuse or sexual harassment, but rather upbringing conceived by parents, and actions that most people find quite right and absolutely normal. Such measures repressed and thence killed off the curious, loving and villainous child within, and made us strong and reasonable adults. And we employ such subconscious practice on our own children, and blind belief in the maxim of “spare the rod and spoil the child” or the principle that is fine to leave babies crying because it’s “good for their lungs”.
This book is a collection of real-life experiences, but these stories feature princes, princesses, kings, queens, mendicants and orphan girls. Indeed, they are all characters that can be found in classic fairytales, but with one big difference: they are aimed at ‘lulling’ adults, and wishing them sweet dreams! The handmade book, produced in 50 copies, was available to Festival visitors at a symbolic price.
Diary 012
The Dnevnik 012 / Diary 012 project aims at addressing the issue of stereotypes as well as those lesser known and suppressed dilemmas that exist in the parent-child social relationship. Irena Pivka collected and recorded stories gathered between April 2005 and April 2006 during a year of maternity leave. The book, produced in fifty copies, is intended to provide parents with the possibility to co-create a personalised diary. Thus the project, instigated by the author, continues in the hands of the user. Festival visitors were able to buy the diary at a symbolic price.
In addition to occasional authorial interventions, Diary 012 is a collection of notes on discussions about parenthood that constantly arise between parents and relatives, friends and acquaintances. In gleaning the material for its creation, Irena Pivka did not conduct actual interviews, and none of the people she talked to – in the street or park, or during a phone call or e-mail exchange – knew their words were being recorded. The identity of these narrators remains a mystery, most stories were published with the permission of those 'involved', while the statements of coincidental and unknown persons were also especially adapted for the publication.
It is astonishing just how many important issues can be broached during the course of an informal chat lasting only a few minutes; and some essential dilemmas of parenthood were brought to the fore by way of such conversations: How to face the so-called ''established'' system of giving birth. How to deal with the initial problems caused by an irrevocable change of identity and the strenuous demands of childcare, and how institutions specialised in this field can help. Surviving postpartum depression. Picking up a career after maternity leave. Placing a baby in childcare. Facing the suppressed truths that new parents have to deal with, as well as society’s attitudes to parents and children… These anecdotes encompass the intimate experiences of individuals, as well as thoughts about the role given to parents by society.
Once they said that all conversations ended up with two subjects which significantly 'labelled' the individual: men spoke about the military, whereas women about labour. The younger generation no longer engages in conversations about the military…
Irena Pivka
