Rok Kravanja: Slovenian Mountain Trail

Dear Slovenia,

I recently turned 40 and I have never thanked you for the fact that I was born on your soil. I have never thanked you for the clean air I have breathed since my first day. Thank you for the beautiful views I see when I walk on your land and for all the unspoilt nature that soothes me. Thank you for public health: I strengthen my spirit and my health with regular hikes on Slovenia’s beautiful peaks. Thank you for free education – I have enrolled in three full-time study programmes and successfully completed two of them. Thank you also, dear Slovenia, for the opportunity to have a voice in Europe – I will definitely vote in the next European elections. These days we are celebrating two decades of your membership in the big European family. I will probably celebrate both of our anniversaries at a village fete, dance wildly to the Oberkrainer music that I have always despised and rolled my eyes at.

Your son, Rok Kravanja

Conceived and performed by Rok Kravanja
Performance dramaturgy: Katarina Stegnar, Gregor Zorc
Light design: Špela Škulj
Producer: Špela Trošt
Production: Via Negativa, Moment Maribor
Co-production: Zavod Odprti predali Kranj
Financial support: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, City of Ljubljana and City of Maribor

The project is based on participation in the Via Negativa Laboratory for contemporary performance art – VN Lab (2023) and the Performance Art Research Ljubljana – PARL (2022).