Goodnight Stories (Pravljice za lahko noč)

An
illustrated book for adults? Stories? Whoever reads such things these days!
Maybe
for the very reason that once upon a time the child within was killed by rules,
prohibitions, humiliations and other socially acceptable oppression.
Maybe
for the very reason that we wanted to grow up as quickly as possible, so that
we would be small and helpless no longer.
Maybe
for the very reason that we are grown-ups, and grown-ups do not read stories.

Pravljice
za lahko noč / Goodnight Stories is a book about small, apparently
innocent acts of oppression that upbringing wages upon us. Sometimes so
commonplace and irrelevant that we paid no attention to them, or maybe we
suppressed them in our subconscious, and accepted this as something normal.
This book is not about physical abuse or sexual harassment, but rather
upbringing conceived by parents, and actions that most people find quite right
and absolutely normal. Such measures repressed and thence killed off the
curious, loving and villainous child within, and made us strong and reasonable
adults. And we employ such subconscious practice on our own children, and blind
belief in the maxim of “spare the rod and spoil the child” or the principle
that is fine to leave babies crying because it’s “good for their lungs”.

This
book is a collection of real-life experiences, but these stories feature
princes, princesses, kings, queens, mendicants and orphan girls. Indeed, they
are all characters that can be found in classic fairytales, but with one big
difference: they are aimed at ‘lulling’ adults, and wishing them sweet dreams! The
handmade book, produced in 50 copies, may be bought by Festival visitors at a
symbolic price.
Kiki Omerzel

Moderated
by: Tanja Mastnak

Organisation: City
of Women
In collaboration with: Slovenski etnografski muzej, Maska