The Slovenian performance Bloop is a delightful experiment born from imagination, water, and the creative mind of multimedia artist Peter Kus. Children and adults alike watched the show with curiosity and joy. After the performance, Kus spoke to us about water, ecology, and the unique instruments he creates—often from the most unexpected objects.
Your play carries a strong ecological message. Water is essential to life, but many people are too caught up in the chaos of everyday life to stop and think about that. Do artists have more time or space for this kind of reflection?
Maybe we do—at least we try to look at everyday problems from a different angle. Bloop was made for children, but our goal wasn’t just to be educational. We wanted to go beyond that—using fun and humor to highlight the importance of preserving water. If we can inspire children to care about nature, there’s hope for the future. We wanted them to leave the show thinking that, every time they drink a glass of water, there might be a little Bloop in it. And they should protect it. If children grow up with an awareness of their responsibility toward nature and ecology, they’ll carry that awareness into all aspects of life.
We learned that you build the instruments used in the performance yourself—from watering cans, pumpkins, test tubes, kettles, pipes, bottles, even plastic siphons! It’s fascinating how much science—physics, chemistry—is present in everyday life, yet many children are intimidated by those subjects in school. This seems like a great opportunity to connect with education.
That’s a great idea, though we haven’t formally partnered with schools yet. What we do have is a kind of informal cooperation with teachers. Before students attend the performance, we send information to teachers so they can prepare the children. That way, after the show, the kids are ready to talk more thoughtfully about water, ecology, and what they saw. We don’t want the experience to be just an hour of entertainment—we want to open their minds to new ways of thinking about familiar things.
Do you also run workshops with children?
Yes! In the workshops, we explore how everyday objects can become instruments. The children build their own instruments and then we play them together. It’s really important for kids to understand how everything is connected. Theater isn’t just about words or literature—it’s also music, science, technology, ecology... how something is made and how it’s performed.
Do you design these instruments or actually build them yourself?
I build them with my own hands, in my workshop.
After seeing Bloop, it’s clear how imaginative your process is. Do you see instruments in everyday objects when you walk around?
All the time! I’m obsessed with flea markets—there’s so much hidden magic in the things people throw away. Each item has a story, a soul. I try to discover that story and express it through music.
Have you heard about the famous flea market in Novi Sad—the Nylon market?
Yes, I have! I’m planning to visit it tomorrow.
In Bloop, we meet a little creature who lives in the water. He might be a drop, a bubble, or an entire splash. But unlike fictional creatures, Novi Sad’s waters contain real, invisible life. If you were to make a version of Bloop here, how would it differ?
Sadly, this isn’t just Novi Sad’s story. We performed Bloop in Italy too, where a chemical spill contaminated the local water supply. Environmental disasters like that happen everywhere. That’s why raising awareness is so important. The message of Bloop—about protecting our water and our world—is a universal one.