Cuckoo
2023
Cuckoo is a digital narrative database.
According to detailed research by Dr. B.G. from the Department of Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Cuckoo was a self-taught ornithologist and psychic medium who, in the 1960s, attracted the attention of the ornithological scientific community with her study of cuckoo eggs. The anonymity of her scientific work led the public to give her the nickname ‘Cuckoo’. Further examination of archival materials (notes, diary entries, personal letters, literature, and other documents) by Dr. B.G. reveals a shift in Cuckoo’s focus towards the metaphysical, artistic, and psychic. As a result, Cuckoo became persona non grata in the scientific community but continued to study psychic methods derived from her somatic and synthetic visions, as well as her contacts with ancestors whom she referred to as her guides.
This narrative is transformed into a detailed digital database and reshaped into an exploratory discourse. The audience encounters the story through an intimate ambient installation inspired by 2000s aesthetics: an outdated computer, a cathode ray monitor, a wired keyboard, and a mouse on an old desk. Attention is drawn to a screen displaying several icons related to Dr. B.G.'s daily work and a digital archive file about Cuckoo. Upon opening the systematised database, the audience, guided by an audio track voiced by Dr. B.G., uncovers chapters and clues that build layers of the story about Cuckoo. The circular, non-linear concept of the chapters stimulates curiosity and encourages a deeper exploration of the research. The audience faces a choice that tests their patience and curiosity: How much time are they willing to dedicate to their research of the database? When does the story end for them?
The archival database is based on existing literature (both scientific and fictional) and a detailed study of bird heritage, cuckoo nesting, the metaphorical use of the term cuckoo, and visual and literary sources on the subject. Through narrative fiction, the work questions the role of women in the academic community, the significance of informal education, and the place of non-rational understanding of one's environment. The artwork exemplifies research within research: by systematising a digital archive of the narrative, which is open for free study, the work examines the methodology of observing and engaging with archives for artistic purposes.
This work has been executed with the support of Sven Cerovec and Branislav Oblučar.
Exhibited at the 37th Youth Salon in Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Lovro Japundžić. Photo by Juraj Vuglač.
