This work was composed and performed by the Tak Ensemble in August 2021. The piece samples the Ukrainian lullaby Ай ну люлі, whose original lyrics tell of a ghoul in red boots trying to disturb a baby. I reimagined the lullaby by sampling its repeating melody and altering the lyrics to explore the convergence of death and decay from the perspective of the ghoul.
The sky in the accompanying video is sampled from a painting by Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko, titled Our Army, Our Protectors. In this work, Prymachenko envisions Ukraine’s army as ordinary people dressed in traditional clothing, standing amidst tall, vibrant flowers. Tragically, the museum housing her works was bombed by the Russian Federation in 2022. Many of her paintings were heroically saved by Ukrainians who risked their lives to rescue the artwork from the burning building.
The sky in the accompanying video is sampled from a painting by Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko, titled Our Army, Our Protectors. In this work, Prymachenko envisions Ukraine’s army as ordinary people dressed in traditional clothing, standing amidst tall, vibrant flowers. Tragically, the museum housing her works was bombed by the Russian Federation in 2022. Many of her paintings were heroically saved by Ukrainians who risked their lives to rescue the artwork from the burning building.