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Gurotszta
The instinctual, insatiable human urge towards transcendence— Continuity and connectivity with the infinite and ourselves— Ritual, the universal need, as crucial as eating and breathing— Join Gurotszta—physically, intentionally engage— Let us come together to play our part in this deliberate activity— Consider and commit ourselves to this communal act— Sincere and silly coexisting, the sacred and profane— Grounded and flourishing, this is real, this is play—
Through the use of post-modern, culturally sensitive plant worship ceremonies, Gurotszta honours natural life, asserting a necessary place for intentional actions as a means of combatting contemporary alienation.
Jonathan Rotstzain's Trees
Jonathan Rotsztain's Trees, Gurotszta's 2012 Centre for Art Tapes Media Arts Scholarship film debut.
Trees was an official selection at the inaugural Outlier Film Festival in 2013.
BLUROTSZTA
In Blurotszta, Gurotszta confronts the sterile power of Toronto's Bay Street during the cold of winter. Satirizing corporate culture, manufactured landscapes and a lack of human scale consideration, Gurotszta mourns the lack of natural beauty, spirituality and public space pervasive throughout the Financial District. The film evokes the pain of disassociation and dislocation and the contradictions inherent across the contemporary cityscape.
Blurotszta was a Studio Honourable Mentions at ARTSIDEOUT 2017.
The Great Garilc Gazing
Gurotszta performed The Great Garlic Gazing pageant and ceremonious garlic planting at White Rabbit 2014 launched via the Trees Outside My Parents House teaser video. Garlic sprouted and supported the seed of human communities and continues to sustain our survival. We praise and worship the garlic.
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Photos by Courtney Harris, Eli Gordon, Hillary Nette, Susan Wolf, Ryan MacLean and Matthew Whiston.
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Rhythms: The How and Why of RitualPublic, participatory ritual workshops build off the Gurotszta performances. How-to hapenings occured during the May 2016 Asylum Arts International Artist Retreat in Garrison, NY and at the July 2016 Hillside Musical Festival in Guelph, ON. Hillside photos above by Daniel Rotsztain. |