Interview with Bernardo Županek: Toilet debates

The theme of this year's Svetlobna guerilla, which includes the Staniščna shepetanja performance, is the Bright Future. Does it also hold the promise of a public debate?
Based on how opening night was, I definitely think so. The response was very good, we whisperers were busy, and if this is any indication of the future of general public debate, it is nothing to fear.

What about unscrupulous intellectual workers? Will they no longer have to ``prostitute''?
I find it difficult to answer this question, but our performance is an opportunity to think about how valued intellectual work is. I personally think that intellectual work is not very much appreciated and I do not feel that the situation is improving.

Given that the Toilet Whispers event took place as part of the Light Guerrilla festival; what is the connection between whispers and light?
The light is integrated into the technical part of the performance, namely the toilets are artistic sculptures by the artists Marko A. Kovačič, Andrej Štular and Zoran Srdić Janežič. Light is used differently inside each toilet. In the retro interior of one toilet, it creates an intimate atmosphere, elsewhere a strong neon light emphasizes the modern interior, and the Roman toilet is illuminated by oil lamps. The light is not as prominent here as in other events within the festival, but they definitely create an inspiring and comfortable atmosphere that puts the debate in a certain context.

Toilets in our society are perceived as controversial secret spaces. Why is the performance positioned in such a spatial framework?
The performance of authors Zoran Srdić and Jane Putrla Srdić takes this very connotation with toilets as a starting point. Toilets, not only in our society but in general, even when we travel, are something that is often different from what we are used to, that fascinates us in its own way. As well as, for example, the cuisine and customs of foreign nations. On the other hand, the performance Toilet Whispers takes Roman public toilets as its starting point. This year we are celebrating the 2,000th anniversary of Emona, and their public toilets are the subject of intense interest today, when going to the toilet is an intimate affair.

As an expert on the Roman period in the Museums and Galleries of the City of Ljubljana, can you tell us more about the Roman concept of socializing in toilets?
Today, we find it strange, uncomfortable and incredible that several people defecated in these toilets at the same time and did not find it unpleasant. They even used this time for a short debate. Of course, the Romans also had their own private toilets, which were more like modern ones. They were darker, undecorated and really not a place where one would want to spend more time. They were equipped with a simple plate with a hole leading to the drain. Public toilets, on the other hand, were relatively luxurious, set in paved areas with ornate walls. The sitting slabs were either stone or wooden, with holes cut into them, and running water usually ran beneath them to flush away the sewage. For wiping, visitors were provided with sea sponges tied to a wooden stick, which they used to hygienically end their visit to the toilet.

Does the debate between the visitor and the intellectual prostitute take place in front of the public or is it an intimate event during the Staniščne Šepetanja performance?
At the event, three toilets are available to visitors, which are actually closed with doors so that intimacy is created inside between the intellectual prostitute and her client or clients. One intellectual prostitute can be visited by several customers at the same time. The starting point is somehow three or four people, so the debate takes place within a narrow circle. The experience we had at the opening was very pleasant, relaxed, the debates went smoothly.

What is the audience's response? What topics did your ̋clients˝ want to debate with you?
The audience response was very good. I thought it was interesting that the organizers offer the option of booking intellectual prostitutes, people liked to use this option and book appointments in advance. The topics of the debates were very different, depending on what the individual intellectual prostitute had to offer - in the performance, archaeologists, anthropologists, artists, curators, art historians, etc. participate. People wanted to talk to me about performance itself and its meaning, about Emona, the Roman Empire, about prostitution in Roman times. The debates developed in completely unexpected directions, for example, we discussed the current political situation in our countries with a group of foreigners.

How is your service paid for?
We collected voluntary contributions that were supposed to be in line with customer satisfaction. Of course, each of the intellectual prostitutes had their own pimp who managed the business with clients. Visitors were asked to express their satisfaction somehow on a scale from two to two hundred euros. People were more inclined towards the lower limit, but we took it more as a joke and an experiment, and at the same time we insisted on the payment, because it is an essential part of the prostitution of intellectual work.