Kuba Dorabialski's Invocation Trilogy Explores Eastern European Socialism with Invented Language and Monumental Imagery

Between 2017 and 2021, Kuba Dorabialski produced the Invocation Trilogy, which delves into Eastern European socialism through a fictional Slavic language and a blend of video art. This trilogy comprises Floor Dance of Lenin's Resurrection, a second unnamed video, and Connection of the Sticks, which transitions from skepticism to a spiritual reevaluation of socialist narratives. A Polish migrant residing in Australia for four decades, Dorabialski crafted a pan-Slavic language to evoke uncertainty in viewers. The pieces incorporate visuals such as Lenin statues and revolutionary witches. In an October 2021 conversation with Miška Mandić, he expressed his worries regarding cultural appropriation. The trilogy has encountered difficulties in being screened in Eastern Europe, including a canceled event at the Australian Embassy in Moscow, and juxtaposes the removal of monuments in Europe with settler-colonial statues in Australia.