KUKERI is a costume-based ritual, that can be found in parts of Bulgaria today, likely rooted in an ancient, untraceable tradition dating back around 4,000 years. It is often associated with the protection of crops and the expulsion of spirits. The aesthetics of the costumes and the movements are not unfamiliar in modern pop culture and are referenced in various contemporary contexts, although the meaning and usage rarely correspond to the original tradition.

This series adopts the aesthetics of these costumes, combining them in small experimental setups with purely speculative ritualistic and ceremonial situations—like a ritual in an office or a parking garage. Several people merge into one body under flowing hair costumes.

Traditionally, the Kukeri ritual is performed exclusively by males of all ages. This rule is deliberately broken here. Faces are intentionally concealed, but tattoos, limbs, or parts of clothing that might give clues about the wearer are visible.

The purpose of these speculative rites is left to the viewer’s interpretation.

Wechselwirkung mit Musik?!?

Symbole? Aussage?!?

SET – BÜRO

SET I – DAVOR

analog dirty vintage analog street photography of east european dirty wide conrete colorful graffiti wall corner parking garage floor with wilderness moss with ugly colorful amateurish ritualistic symbols and circles and trash on the floor, wet floor, full body portrait of traditonal old group hugging interweaved relaxed excentric dancing twisting of aged old adult chubby traditional old females persons with face fully covered and hidden in hair with tattoos all in huge costumes made of dirty very long thin detailed black dull long dense wild fluffy smooth natural hair hanging down to the ground covering the whole body and face in wind, wide shoulders oversized heads, doing dark mysterious surreal ritual dance facing the wall, strong motion blur, posing dancing wildly sideways, body face hand completely covered with hair, diffuse light, white smoke, fog, vignette, dirty european crashed car with small white dogs sleeping around in out of focus foreground, depth of field, lens distortion, hidden face, huge cracked holes in the floor with smoke coming out in out of focus foreground, barefoot, feet covered, face fully covered in hair, lens distortion, many observers standing in the background facing wall looking at wall from behind, film grain, light leak

SET – INDOOR PARKHAUS

TOP DOWN

analog dirty vintage dark analog top down street photography of east european dirty wide conrete colorful graffiti wall corner parking garage floor with wilderness moss with ugly colorful amateurish ritualistic symbols and circles and trash on the floor, wet floor, full body portrait of traditonal old group hugging interweaved relaxed excentric dancing twisting of aged ugly group of touching hugging old adult chubby traditional old females and fat old male persons with face fully covered and hidden in wavy hair with tattoos all in huge costumes made of dirty very long thin detailed black dull curly long dense wild fluffy smooth natural hair hanging down to the ground covering the whole body and face in wind, with dirty hair strands interconnect persons, wide shoulders oversized heads, doing dark mysterious surreal ritual dance facing the wall, strong motion blur, posing dancing wildly sideways, body face hand completely covered with very long hair, hair on the ground, white smoke, fog, vignette, dirty european crashed car, many black dogs in out of focus foreground, depth of field, lens distortion, hidden face, huge cracked holes in the floor with smoke coming out in out of focus foreground, barefoot, feet covered, face fully covered in hair, lens distortion, many observers standing in the background facing wall looking at wall from behind, film grain, light leak, wide angle lens, wild rotated camera, at night, strong depth of field, macro,

SET – OUTDOOR PARKHAUS

SET II

Describing the ritual.
Togehterness, interaction interweaving of performers.

SET III – SUBWAY

dirty vintage dark analog fisheye top down photography of east european dirty wide subway train ugly amateur black and silver graffiti on the wall, ugly colorful amateurish ritualistic symbols and circles and trash on the floor, wet floor, full body portrait of traditonal old group hugging interweaved relaxed excentric dancing twisting of aged ugly group of touching hugging old adult chubby traditional old females persons with face fully covered and hidden in wavy hair with tattoos all in huge costumes made of dirty very long thin detailed grey white dull long dense wild fluffy smooth natural hair hanging down to the ground covering the whole body and face in wind, with dirty hair strands interconnect persons, wide shoulders oversized heads, doing dark mysterious surreal ritual dance facing the wall, strong motion blur, posing dancing wildly sideways, body face hand completely covered with very long hair, hair on the ground, white smoke, fog, vignette, many black dogs in out of focus foreground, depth of field, lens distortion, hidden face, many damaged white plastic subway seats on the floor shattered in out of focus foreground, barefoot or combat boots, feet covered, face fully covered in hair, lens distortion, many observers standing in the background facing wall looking at wall from behind, film grain, light leak, wide angle lens, wild rotated camera, at night, strong depth of field, macro,

SET IV – LIVING ROOM