Whistling sirens, video 5:52′, 2024
Eja Devečková, through the participatory project Whistling sirens explores the phenomenon of whistling in its various forms and meanings. Whistling is a form of verbal expression of momentary emotion, or a means of communication. In the context of Central Europe, whistling often evokes folkloric connotations: calling men to dance, setting the rhythm for musicians, and so on. However, across different regions, we observe that whistling is predominantly a male domain. Women are traditionally seen as delicate, elegant, and modest; therefore, a woman who expresses herself through whistling in society is generally viewed negatively. Whistling by women is considered distasteful and rude.
The artist, however, considers the ability to whistle to be such an interesting skill that she herself wanted to learn it. Paradoxically, it was her female friends who were the ones around her who could whistle. This led to the idea for the project, in which women teach other women how to whistle. During the Mikulov symposium, Eja reached out to local residents, organizations, and associations and organized a series of whistling workshops. During the final happening, a group of whistling women gathered on a small meadow under Holy Hill (Svatý kopeček), where they spent a few hours sharing much more than just this specific skill. The unique atmosphere of the moment and place is captured in a video, which also serves as the artist’s creative output.
Text: Lenore Jurkyová
Photo: Martin Polák
