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Europe

Anca and Arnold Benera and Estefán
Rehearsals for Peace

Imagine a picturesque pastoral landscape where the rhythmic grazing of animals seamlessly accommodates a military training schedule, resulting in a surreal coexistence of sheep and armoured vehicles. This peculiar juxtaposition characterises the daily life of a Transylvanian village nestled in central Romania, which happens to be home to one of NATO’s key combat training grounds. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Eastern Europe witnessed a surge in military activities, as NATO troops engaged in defence exercises along the Eastern flank. This led to the transformation of rural pastures in Romania into firing ranges. Rehearsals for Peace by Anca Bernera and Arnold Estefan explores the impact of this military presence and examines how the military imagination shapes these surrounding landscapes and communities. The film’s narrative draws inspiration from a local tradition called Urzelnlaufen, which has been practised in the Saxon villages of Transylvania since the 16th century. This ritual revolves around the belief that whip-cracking has the power to repel evil spirits and safeguard communities from potential danger. The legend behind this tradition happens to originate from the village of Cincu, located near the NATO combat training ground. The legend recounts the tale of Ursula, a valiant woman disguised as a man, wearing a fearsome costume, who successfully repelled occupying invaders through with the supersonic resonance of a cracking whip. In the film, a modern-day Ursula confronts contemporary armoured vehicles, harnessing the power of the local ritual. Ursula’s performance hijacks elements from the military’s choreographic vocabulary, such as tactical hand signals, and intertwines them with the ancient ritual of whip-cracking. This results in a choreography of the unspoken gestures and counteracts of a disobedient body that silently confronts the present worldwide reality dominated by militarization and earthly extraction.

Artists and researchers Anca Benera and Arnold Estefan have been working collaboratively since 2012. Their research-based practice spans a range of media, including installation, video, and performance. Their work explores the ways in which the military imagination shapes landscapes, climates, and communities, and how it intersects with economies of earthly extraction.