KATHERINA RADEVA
Water into Wine
‘I am Bulgarian.
Bulgaria is due to join the European Union in 2007. On the surface this will be fantastic for the Bulgarian economy, but what will it mean for the small producers?
Wine is a product, a manufactured product. It is a product one consumes. It is made from the grape that is picked from the vine. It is nourished by water that falls from the sky, which falls on our mountains, that sustains a way of life. Wine flows through Bulgaria like a river. It sustains micro economies, the growers and makers, whilst permeating the macro economy of the world wine market. Wine is the blood of Christ and is revered for it nurtures, purifies, gives life, and provides a livelihood. Water into Wine is a performance for the land; it is a ritual celebrating the traditions of a tiny country on the verge of economic inclusion. It is a performance about what comes from the earth, is sustained by the earth and is protected by the earth. It will take Bulgarian traditions, some of which are attached to the climate and environment, such as wine growing, and some of which are grounded in localised mythology, such as ritualistic dance, and use them as a means of celebrating this way of life as distinct from all others, as something that, like the earth, should be cherished, nourished, and preserved.’
The research for the project has been supported by Arts Admin. With thanks to Benjamin Jenner and Zahari, Rosy, Dimo Radevi.