Agnes Momirski is an interdisciplinary artist. Her work and research explores the posthuman condition from a deeply embodied perspective, by drawing from philosophical, anthropological, metaphysical, and astrological knowledge.
Through a post-humanist lens, her work departs from a deeply embodied practice rooted in voice and language, seeking the links between nature, the posthuman, embodiment, rhythm, inner work and healing, creating multimedia visual, music and sound collaborations across disciplines.
MetaTrixx – This is not a Ritual - Meta-trixx - This is not a ritual
The project examines links between rituality and trickstery (of senses) in the post-truth era.
In the Meta-Trixx project the archetypal shapeshifter/ trixxter becomes an instrument of meaning. As we enter the Metaverse, the Trixxter character can convey many deeply seated issues around reclaiming human beings as metamorphic in the convergence of alternate realities where we witness treachery of images - deep fake, post-truth, simulated realms.
Trixxter is a shapeshifter, and in ritual, shapeshifting (usually into animals) is done with use of ritual clothing, language, and body movement. The project researches notions of trickstery as it is conveyed in visual and oral ritual language, through the ritual use of riddles and optical illusions and other sensory tricks that allow the viewer to be taken into the simulation.
“Ceci n’est pas un pipe” as famously written on a painting of a pipe of Magritte. How do digital and simulated spaces affect (trick) our sensory imagination of our bodies? How does the embodied internet evoke new spiritual territories and inner experiences of our bodies? And most importantly, when is trickstery considered healing and when is it treacherous?
“This is not a pipe” ; in an all encompassing simulation, we witness “What is not a ritual” A shapeshifting dance in a post-club context, attuning to digital landscapes as mutidimensional unities of life integrating inorganic, organic and animal dimensions.
siXren (Agnes Momirski) in collaboration with Brencha (fashion design), Brank (music), and Elisa Zuppini (dance).
Polymorphic ritual - Performative ritual lecture and guided breathwork -
In 2020, we are at a critical contagion of change. The material body becomes the very site where trauma, transformation, technological innovation, and evolution conflate. Polymorphic ritual confers the deep post-anthropocene yearning for in-depth self-transformation. The survival of our material body depends on returning to a sensibility for (material and spiritual) metamorphosis, allowing us to attune our nervous systems into an encompassing ecosystem.
Polymorphism, is in biology related to biodiversity, genetic variation, and adaptation.
Polymorphic ritual audio journey, is an informative sonic travel narrating the history behind the human project of self-transformation and evolving human consciousness, drawing from neuroscience, rituality, and psychotechnologies – these are systems for a deliberate change in consciousness as described in the book The Aquarian conspiracy. The narration contains spoken word, rhythm, and guided conscious breathwork.
Concept and Narration by Agnes Momirski
Music by Marko Batista
Mixing advice and mastering by Vida Vojić
Costume design by Brencha
Photography by Sara Rman
Polymorphic ritual performance was performed at Cirkulacija 2, Ljubljana, on 28th of August 2020, full duration 50 minutes.
It took place in a space with three concentric circles drawn on the floor for the purposes of the ritual, and the audience stood on the circle lines. During the breathwork and countdown part of the ritual, the audience was instructed to move slowly alongside the circles drawn on the floor, resulting in a pleasant meditative state.
Agnes Momirski - Agnes Momirski: siXren (verbum medicinae)
- residency and solo exhibition -
opening Friday, 21 February at 6pm -
MGLC Švicarija, Ljubljana
siXren (verbum medicinae) project is inspired by models of ancient healing rhetorics. The work explores the psychoacoustic effects of ancient verbal and sound formulas used in healing ceremonies, and abstracts and reapplies them into the matrix of contemporary sounds. Sonically and visually, we enter the liminal space between Earths rhythm and noise music, between digital and animate, pre-modern and hyper-modern.
Ancient linguistic / sound patterns were considered as healing transformative and medicinal agents, and as the missing link between man and nature. Practices such as ancient Greek rhetorics, word magic, ritual poetry, as well as contemporary cognitive science and wellbeing methods, utilize the primordial power of utterance, rhythm, and sound to affect our animal senses, and consequently our body biology, brain chemistry, sensory and cognitive clarity.
Ancient knowledge of verbal formulas serves to establish a new relationship with nature in the coming era of posthumanity, and informs the current sonic imaginary in our techno-ecology with poetic and healing sensibility.
siXren (verbum medicinae) is made in collaboration with beepblip (sound) and Brina Vidic (visual and costume design), curated by Miha Colner, video DOP Rajko Bizjak.
The exhibition is open until 2. August 2020.
Specter - Specter is an umbrella for interdisciplinary events and curatorial initiatives, initiated by Agnes Momirski and Georgia Kareola. Specter was born from a deep curiosity in the topic of human enhancement and self-mastery in a technology enabled nature. Specter investigates scientific-, spiritual-, and design strategies to relish our humanness, sentience and sensuality in our constantly evolving human-tech playgrounds.
Events & exhibitions:
Specter Summer Solstice, V2_Lab for Unstable media, 2019
Cyber Sanctuaries, The Wrong biennale, 2019
Virtual Cocoons, 2020
https://specter.world/
Agnes Momirski - VALA
- two-channel video & short film -
2017/18 - Running time: 14 min
The Vala film experiments with the linguistic and vocal registers of female voices that are used in interfaces and AI development. Vala is an AI who takes us on a hypnotic mindfulness journey, during which her instructional voice begins intertwining with her sensual voice.
The name Vala comes from Nordic mythology, where she is the female shaman, and from Blake's mythological poetry, where she's the representation of nature.
Focusing on the archetypal female roles and their representations in fashion and technology, the film juxtaposes the androgynous female voice of AIs and the inherently emotional/sensual characteristic of a female voice. Vala shows a path towards a future where the new human consciousness rises from a marriage of contradictions, and is characterised by the movement towards the self rather then the ego, the new harmony between the virtual and physical, digital and analogue, reason and intuition, man and nature.
Project is supported by Mondriaan fonds, The Netherlands, and Ministry of Culture, Slovenia.
Agnes Momirski - Trans-Cosmic Ritual
- Agnes Momirski -
Musical lecture - that initially took place at Extrapool Nijmegen, curated by Danielle Lemaire. Full lenght ritual was 35 min in duration.
The ritual is an investigation of human augmentation and enhancement. Before the performance starts, the audience is offered powerful anti-inflammatory and cognition boosting supplements. During the ritual, we are called to imagine how we become augmented humans. Augmented human is an entity with potentially awakened savant-like skills, paranormal abilities and transcendental experiences. Augmentation is achieved through pharmacological methods, genetic engineering, tools for cognition and bodily enhancement, causing a radical increase in spiritual abilities. We’ve all come here with the same curriculum - to become who we really are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZDhcj-gwQ
Voice and concept - Agnes Momirski
Music - AN3 aka yEs!yEs!
Agnes Momirski - DIGITAL DAWN, LUMINOUS VOICES
- Solo exhibition - Spoken word guided meditation performance -
- Roodkapje Rotterdam
20.4.-20.5.2018
The exhibition installation is a space for exploring the sensuality of comforting wellness tools and the global quest for emotional knowledge and wellbeing. It stages the idea and concern of technology innovations for bringing back the sensual coexistence to our everyday lives. After the scientific revolution, the society was desensitized and desensualised, alchemical world view was replaced by the mind-body split, which led to many anxious and neurotic behavior. Healing lies in resurrecting the alchemical world view and bringing awareness to sensual, intuitive and emotional human facets.
The objects (animistic pillows resembling comfort companions, wellness beds and meditation pillows) in the exhibition space allow the visitors to rest on them and hug them, and immerse themselves in sonic and vocal resonances and spoken word utterances. Inspired by the idea of a post-work society, wellness culture and occult origins of technology, the exhibition is a space of experimentation with visual, sonic and spacial design elements, simulating a sensual healing place and a resurrection of alchemical archaic knowledge.
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The opening performance combines costumes, sound, voice and movement. It employs two voices in mutual interplay to narrate a guided meditation session, guiding the viewers into visualization of a post-work future and the global quest for eternal happiness. Experimenting with sonic, linguistic and vocal registers, the performance evokes multiple effects across the gradient of consciousness and soothes the audience into a relaxing visualization of a mimetic and intuitive coexistence, digital transcendence and techno-telepathy.
Made in collaboration with sound artist Jesse Perlstein (NY) and vocalist Margje Ottevanger (NL).
