Glej,
It is Impossible to Wait in Vain

»Who truly dares to question the position of power-over?«

Gallery

It is Impossible to Wait in Vain by Miklavž Komelj and Leja Jurišić is a co-authored project of two artists, who never collaborated before. They have decided to share their yearlong creative process, but refused to make any compromise within their final artistic product. Therefore they created autonomous works with a common title It is Impossible to Wait in Vain. 

It is Impossible to Wait in Vain is a part of Glej, Resident programme. Leja Jurišić is Glej Resident between 2019 and 2021. She invited Miklavž Komelj and Petra Veber to join the project. 

Opening night of a devised performance It Is Impossible to Wait in Vain / Practical Mystery, co-authored by Leja Jurišić and Miklavž Komelj, happened on December 4, 2020. Due to pandemic of COVID-19 it was too dangerous for people to attend the show. Therefore they were replaced by stones. People could buy tickets and send their stones to the show instead of them.  

On the same day, two books by Miklavž Komelj, titled It Is impossible to Wait in Vain (book of paintings and Statical Mystery) were published by publishing house Pekinpah. You can find more information about the books here.  

Gallery

About the Project

Leja Jurišić and Miklavž Komelj met one night in Metelkova. Jurišić was dancing. When she stoppped, Komelj came to her. They were laughing, but noone remembers why anymore. But most importantly: their collaboration already began. "Everything is sublime," will be written somewhere later. 

This concludes a triology of duets by Leja Jurišić. After she worked with Marko Mandić (Together, 2018) and Milko Lazar (De facto, 2019), she became close with Komelj. A scenographer Petra Veber, her long-time co-worker, is also there. It Is Impossible to Wait in Vain starts building up. It is a project, divided into three parts: book of dramatic poem, book of paintings and a performance. Each element stands as an autonomous work of art, but it is only possible through authors close process of collaboration. Giving oneself to the other, in order to make it possible for mine to exist. Interconsecration. Komelj sometimes finds it easier to visit a dentist, than to attend a theatre. Maybe this is the reason why Jurišić communicates with a stone in the performance.     

This is precisely  why "a stone is not a prop for Jurišić", as Komelj emphasized. Stone is a co-actor. "Stone assumes ultimate difference, otherness, and perhaps this is a reason, why it also presents equality and oneness. Stone symbolizes immobility and insistance," Jurišić adds. By that he "encourages a desire for closeness, for understanding." 

It is Impossible to Wait in Vain sketches, declares and performs close connections between worlds far apart. Passionate poetics of Komelj and penetration of extremes by Jurišić. One with the other, and one in the other, both on a path towards empathic aspiration. Jurišić continues to ask herself: "Who truly dares to question the position of power-over?"

Credits

Authors: Leja Jurišić and Miklavž Komelj
Author of devised performance It is Impossible to Wait in Vain / Practical Mystery Play: Leja Jurišić

Performers of devised performance: Leja Jurišić and a rock  

Scenography, lights, costumes: Petra Veber
Filming: mali film, Hana Vodeb, Vid Hajnšek
Technical director: Grega Mohorčič
Technical support: Simon Bezek, Brina Ivanetič, Žan Rantaša

Author of the book Static Mystery Play: Miklavž Komelj
Author of the book of paintings: Miklavž Komelj
Editor of Glej, Paper: Tery Žeželj

Designers of posters, books and Glej, Paper: Mina Fina, Ivian Kan Mujezinović / Grupa Ee
Photography: Ivian Kan Mujezinović and Petra Veber

Producers: Barbara Poček (Glej Theatre), Žiga Predan (Pekinpah)
Post production: Inga Remeta (Glej Theatre), Žiga Predan (Pekinpah)
Production and co-production: Glej Theatre and Pekinpah with Leja Jurišić
Production of books: Pekinpah
Co-financers: Ministry of Culture and Municipality of Ljubljana

It is Impossible to Wait in Vain by Miklavž Komelj and Leja Jurišić is a co-authored project of two artists, who never collaborated before. They have decided to share their yearlong creative process, but refused to make any compromise within their final artistic product. Therefore they created autonomous works with a common title It is Impossible to Wait in Vain.

It is Impossible to Wait in Vain is a part of Glej, Resident programme. Leja Jurišić is Glej Resident between 2019 and 2021.

About Glej, Resident Programme 

Glej, Resident Programme is a three year programme of wholesome approach towards development of artists and their projects. It encourages artists to produce new art works, enagage in in-depth research and develop open process and new methodology. We wish for artists to explore, participate and develop field research, study visits and workshops, connected with the topic of their work, both home and abroad. We also nurture their skills of media relations, contextualizing and placing their art work as well as production and financial development of the project. More about Glej, Resident programme.

Leja Jurišić is Glej, resident between 2019 and 2021. 

Former Glej, residents:

2018: Hana Vodeb and Tin Grabnar
2017: sz3
2016: Eva Nina Lampič and Urška Brodar
2015: Nina Rajić Kranjac
2014: Jaša Koceli
2013: G-FART