Snowmobile tracks are installed from floor to ceiling. Swaying through the space like the northern lights, like paths, like veins, like bridges or barriers. Floating objects of metal, leather, grass, and twigs. What are we looking at? A potent starry sky, a teeming cosmos, or a universe thrown off its natural course?
The materials’ strong anchoring in modern society evokes associations with something familiar and therefore safe, while simultaneously whispering insistently of something foreign and irreconcilable. Visual artis Maret Anne Sara’s combination of materials and visual language creates a quiet rupture, resulting in an apparent harmony held in constant tension.
Sara describes this space of tension as an existential split between an outer life rooted in modern Western industriality and capitalism, and an inner logic grounded in Sámi philosophy and Indigenous science. This tension is explored through a performance that uses Indigenous science as its method. Within Indigenous science, “being alive” is understood as an inclusive definition: everything is seen as possessing energy and its own unique intelligence and creative process—not only obviously animated beings such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, but also stones, mountains, rivers, and places.
Opening oneself to the natural world with all senses—body, mind, and spirit—is central to the practice of Indigenous science. The choreography and visual language are developed through a bodily and sensory, physical and metaphysical dialogue between materials and the human being.
Čitna Báffa is an interdisciplinary work, equally performance and exhibition. The visual artworks exist in dialogue with living bodies and movement, while also standing independently as visual piece in an exhibition. Čitna Báffa is the title of the performance and Háhtešeatni doali dádjadit the title of the exhibition.
Artistic direction and visual art by Máret Ánne Sara. Movement and voice material by Anja Saiva Bongo Bjørnstad, Anitta Katriina Suikkari and Ina Dokmo. Performance by Anja Saiva Bongo Bjørnstad, Anitta Katriina Suikkari and Ina Dokmo. Choreography by Alexandra Wingate together with Maret Anne Sara. Sound design by Kristine Hansen. Costume by Line Maher. Production by Alexandra Wingate and co-produced by Festspillene.
The sound score is based on Katarina Barruk and Arnljot Nordviks compositions Vuöbmie, Nasagruvan, Sïlbah, Pt. 4 Máddaráhkká and Ruhttuo Outro by Barruk, Nordvik and Eirik Fjelde in combination with sound recordings by Máret Ánne Sara, Elin Már Øyen Vister and Kristine Hansen.
With support from Dáiddadállu, Nordic Culture Point, Davvi – Center for Performing Art, Dáiddafoanda, Vitlycke – Centre for Performing Arts and Beaivváš Sámi Nášunalteater.
Alexandra Wingate 