I am honoured and happy that my my video “Keep your Secrets” for DIGITAL FAIRY TALES: “Obvious Surprise”was selected to be included in the International Motion Art Awards 8 (IMAA8) collection – representing the best photography, illustration and design in motion.

Link to video: https://youtu.be/jafPV9jliH0

Special thanks to Chantelle Joy Fuoco aka Sea of Daisies for the wonderful sound. It’s our 4th collaboration and I love working with you!
And many thanks to my curators Eszter Szabó and Leo Kuelbs!

My video is based on the African fairytale „Keep your Secrets“ in which a mother advises her daughter to always keep secrets from her man. The daughter, though, trusts her husband and answers all his questions. Eventually, he changes into a hyena and literally swallows her. In my video I look behind the love story of two individuals that ends badly. I ask questions about the belittling, the violence and the blaming, women all over the world have to endure.

This videos aim to contribute to the process of unlearning the narrow concepts of “the female character.” The videos use a selection of old folk tales, then subvert the canonized gender roles that for generations have been instilled and are still strongly present in children’s literature. Fairy tales have always been effective tools for shaping social norms. The most popular tales have consistently been adjusted and adapted to fit the needs of the era. But today a patriarchal point of view is still the default in most cultures. This notion of “the woman’s role” seems to be hardening and even regressing further on some fronts. Meanwhile, the digital age and its inhabitants feel free to evolve and broaden the meaning of “feminine” in new and surprising ways. The videos of DIGITAL FAIRY TALES: “Obvious Surprise” are artistic reflections on these issues. They attempt to challenge the mainstream visuality of the tame, obedient, caring woman figure by revealing characters of the wide majority who often remain invisible. Through digital reimaginings of ancient material, contemporary artists add their visions and voices into the mix; pushing the conversation forward. For this project we collected seven tales, that are relevant to the concept. Most of them are old folk tales that depict female characters in an unusual way. Curated by Eszter Szabó and Leo Kuelbs, with Kinga Tóth.