Instructions for a Love Story

The work begins with a narrator reading formulaic text instructions that use corporate terms such as assets, transactions, and exchanges as structural parameters. Slovakia’s “Well of Love” legend (the story of Ömer and Fatima at Trenčín Castle) is presented as an instance of these instructions. Another narrator recounts the romantic legend, accompanied by dramatic music and images of a sand castle depicting Trenčín Castle. Prince Ömer digs through limestone for years to free his captive lover.

A third narrator interrupts with “footnotes” that provide dry, scientific, or historical corrections. These footnotes reveal that the well was not dug by a faithful lover but by anonymous garrison soldiers over forty years, and that the digging never reached a natural water source. The visuals alternate between minimalist text on a black background, details of the sand castle, and AI-generated images mimicking historical documents. As the romantic narration concludes with water flowing from stone, the sand castle begins to dissolve into mud.