Serbia: What is the secret of Konstrakta's innovative performance?

06 May 2022 at 09:00 CEST

Serbia's Konstrakta - WIDE EBU / Corinne Cumming

With memorable (and meme-able) moments like methodical hand washing, rhythmic clapping, and chanting in a dead language, Konstrakta’s song ‘In Corpore Sano’ is one of this year’s most intriguing entries.

Konstrakta, Serbia, First Rehearsal, PalaOlimpico, 2 May 2022 EBU / Nathan Reinds

Konstrakta, the stage name of Ana Đurić, has been performing since 2001 as a member of the band Zemlja gruva, moving into solo work in 2020. With a professional background in architecture prior to transitioning to a career in music, she still approaches her craft with a healthy dash of multimedia and conceptual art, much like her Serbian compatriot and artistic inspiration Marina Abramović.

Despite having a song with lyrics in a blend of Serbian and Latin (a first in Eurovision history, for the record), Konstrakta isn’t worried about her message being understood by a global audience.

This is a song about health and the atmosphere in which we’re living, which has put health as the highest value. We needed a compulsive aspect during the song, which we decided would be the washing of hands. I think that the staging can make an impact, especially when you dive into the lyrics. We have this performance, and subtitles from time to time, so the audience should hopefully be able to connect.

📺 Watch: Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano (Eurovision House Party)

Viewers and listeners might pick up on a reference to a certain member of the British Royal Family in the lyrics, but Konstrakta insists that mentions to the Duchess of Sussex are purely metaphorical and symbolic.

Meghan Markle isn’t that important here, but she’s representative of all those people in the media that we’re focused on. She hasn’t contacted me yet, but I’d like for her to hear it! This is a song about the atmosphere in which we’re living, which has put health as the highest value.

Konstrakta, Serbia prepares for the first rehearsal EBU / Andres Putting

Konstrakta guides us through three minutes of musical meditation on physical and mental health, the importance of universal healthcare, and society’s misplaced focus on beauty standards. At the end of all of that, we’re left with a heavy question: ‘So, what now?’ It’s meant to elicit continued thought and conversation from the audience, much like after leaving an art exhibition or film: