The real show-stoppers are the three paper spirits. The artist had lovingly crafted them from recycled cereal boxes and old newspaper clippings. These are no ordinary paper spirits; they are Tengric guardians who have clearly been around the block a few times. The first spirit, crinkled and slightly bent, sports a pair of googly eyes (the artist couldn't resist). The second one, adorned with what can only be described as a paper mustache, flutters mysteriously every time someone sneezes. The third, a grumpy-looking figure with one leg shorter than the other, seems perpetually on the verge of toppling over.
As some background animations continue, the spirits—who seem to be held together by sheer force of will and possibly a dash of hot glue—stand sentinel around the phone. They’re guardians of wisdom, or at least that’s what the artist keeps telling everyone. Really, they look more like they're about to form a barbershop quartet.
The crowd watches, some in awe, others in amused confusion, as the ethereal lighting casts shadows that transform the tiny basement into a cosmic stage. The shadows flicker like mischievous phantoms, and for a moment, even the cat seems to take notice, its eyes wide as saucers.
The artist steps back, admiring their work. The installation, a bizarre fusion of ancient spirituality and modern absurdity, somehow resonates. Maybe it's the ridiculousness of it all, or perhaps it’s the fact that amidst the jokes and quirks, there’s an undeniable thread of sincerity—a genuine attempt to connect the ephemeral past with the fleeting present.
As a final Tengric symbol dissolves into the screen, leaving only the wheezing phone and its ever-vigilant paper guardians, the crowd begins to murmur. Someone claps, and then another. Soon, the basement is filled with applause, echoing like the distant roll of thunder in the mountains.
The artist, grinning from ear to ear, takes a bow. In the audience, someone whispers, "I have no idea what just happened, but I think I liked it."
And that, the artist thinks to themself, is precisely the point.