“Re:Neptun” is a reenactment of the Neptun Trilogy, combining the (non-digital-media) performance with body-art elements of all three pieces (2011-13) in the September 2014 live event that happened (including audience) site-specifically at the ex-Neptun factory beach. Instead of sardines, needle-fish was used time-specifically (no sardines were available due to full moon). The video is an edited documentary of the reenactment event that lasted about 30 minutes.
Camera: Denis Mavrič
Editing: pETER Purg
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The Neptun Trilogy documentation is available at:
2013 — http://vsu.ung.si/ustvarjamo/peter-purg/the-absence-of-neptun
2012 — http://vsu.ung.si/ustvarjamo/peter-purg/the-return-of-neptun
2011 — http://vsu.ung.si/ustvarjamo/peter-purg/catharsis-of-neptune
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More details and context:
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Re:Neptun
Conversation about a Fact(ory)
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Re:enactment of the Neptun Trilogy 2011-13
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Tuesday, 6.9.2014 at 17:00, Neptun Factory pier, Komiža, Croatia.
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pETER Purg: The Neptun Trilogy (2011 – 2013)
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The Neptun Trilogy connects three artistic interventions into the (semi)public space of a former sardine factory, the major brown field of Komiža (island of Vis, Croatia), now a tourist landmark after a glorious past in fishery. Beginning with a fluxus-inspired body-art experiment in 2011, followed by a site-specific video piece in 2012, the trilogy concluded in 2013 with a video installation within a performance-in-absence:
“Neptun” was the biggest factory in Komiža, presently its dilapidated premises are owned by an international investment company from South Africa. The fish-processing plant had united several smaller local companies, reaching back to a rich fishing history and know-how, it used to be the economic pride of Komiža. The premises are officially closed to the public now, but the beach in front of the factory is being used by local people for bathing and fishing.
THE CATHARSIS OF NEPTUN (2011) was a site-specific performance-based installation presented within Komiža New Media Port (Video Vortex) on 30.8.2011. After delivering a pilot performance at the town gallery, where – in terms of a pilot performance – 0,7 litres of seawater was drunk in front of the Komiža New Media Port participants, the installation was presented at the seafront walkway, the “instructions” text written onto the pavement both in the Komižan dialect and in English; the (Fluxus-inspired) instructions can be read at http://vsu.ung.si/ustvarjamo/peter-purg/catharsis-of-neptune – which is also the entry page of the Neptun-Trilogy online archive.
THE RETURN OF NEPTUN (2012) video work was created at the Komiža New Media Port in July 2012. The site-specific piece was framed into a mini-performance and installation situation (looping an a 22″screen with headphones and 2 carafes on each side, gradually filled up by author/performer with port seawater, brought in with a sardine tin can). The single-shot video (taken by author swimming, partly underwater, in front of the Neptun factory) is cut into several parts, edited with original underwater-camera sounds and interviews (about the importance of Neptun) with the bathers at the factory beach on 12.7.2012.
THE ABSENCE OF NEPTUN (2013) was first intended to become a site-specific performance-based video installation, but it turned out differently: it became a stand-alone installation – due to the absence of fish: 10 kilo of sardines (that were to be hand-cleaned by the author during the opening, then fried and served to fellow creators and guests) were stolen from nearby the site shortly before the show opening. Thus the local way of “semaphoring” the sardines’ arrival to the fish market (originally with chalk-on-blackboard; in the piece as blood-on-fish-box) was appropriated:
• first the board shows: “DOLAZI SRDELA” (“sardine arriving”)
• then “DOLAZI” gets crossed out, now saying “STIGLA SRDELA” (“sardine arrived”)
• here, “UKRANA” (“stolen”) was added below.
The video track itself (9:23) is (as a part of the installation) a linear cross-dissolve edit of a stone-throwing ritual by the author, in front of the Neptun factory, with underwater mini-camera tied onto the thrown (heavy) stone. The flat stones on the notebook-based mirror&glass setup were to be offered to the audience for writing/painting to the question of “Co umisto Neptuna?” (What instead of Neptun?), next to the small characteristic semi-gem stones gathered at the Neptun beach. Even without the performance, the stones received some response (three paintbrushes were offered aside), yet with tomato catchup (the painting medium was originally to be fish blood).
