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KARINA KOPPÁNY Arnold van Gennep in The Rites of Passage. An individual’s life is constantly going through transitional rituals, from birth, through his or her “social puberty,” not just marriage, but becoming a parent, moving up the social hierarchy, and death are all kinds of rituals. These ongoing transformations occur as a consequence of “influences and counter-effects between the profane and the sacred world,” which must be closely monitored so as not to cause harm to general society, as these events interact with both nature and the universe. In order to maintain balance, it is important to associate rituals related to cosmic transitions with human transitional ceremonies.“ Every marriage changes the social order, by the fact that when two people connect their lives it not only affects their existence, but also other social elements. This upsets the balance, which is not so noticeable in big cities, but more so in small villages.! Judit Kele’s first intention with the auction was to sell herself as an exhibited work of art, to get a pay check and to take off. “I wanted it to end here,” Kele told Turai in an interview in 2011. At this point, it wasn’t really about a real marriage on her part. Taking into account the social avalanche that was set in motion, Kele could — at least, temporarily — expect the cosmic balance to be disturbed, given that it was the result of an unconventional advertisement, upsetting the social norm, but she didn’t think at the time that it would would have an impact on the social balance. Judit Kele’s ad appears as a theatrical element, a kind of written unit that becomes an act as soon as anyone responds to it.’® The Libération” ad was published as follows: Young and successful Eastern European female artist seeks a gentleman for marriage. This marriage would enable her to freely move around and accompany her exhibitions in the West. In exchange, accommodation in her home country and local art contacts are offered. Respond to the following address... Meetings possible after the 10'* of July.'® In her 2011 interview with Turai, the artist recalls the ad as something that was hard to formulate. She had to be careful, on the one hand, because the target audience was from a culture completely foreign to her, and she had to choose her words carefully, as she could not use the word “buy” because it would legally constitute human trafficking, even ifshe was the one attempting Gennep: Rites of Passage, 42. 15 Gennep: Ibid., 143. 16 Turai: Ibid. Libération, known as Libé, is a French newspaper, founded by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973, in Paris, to give the opportunity to the May 1968 movements to have a voice and spread their message. 18 Hock: Ibid., 37. + 168 +
