The Secret Pope
The Secret Pope is an ode to Pope Joan, the mythical female pope of the 12th century. Women were and have been notoriously excluded from the Christian power and political structure and in fact have been pitted in opposition to it as witches. This performance is not only an ode to the mythical power of women, their relationship to mainstream spirituality, but also a tongue in cheek exploration of what else popes might do in the woods.
The Secret Pope ministered in Fort Kochi for the Biennale in 2023. The culmination of a long dream.
The Secret Pope —In the Woods/In the Weeds
Lost in the weeds, running through the woods, oh dear. Her latest outing to one of her favorite woodland escapes, she found a flaming world in the weeds. Is it a metaphor? Is it not a metaphor? She just watched it burn and gave it its last rites. It’s the least she could do. Maybe someday, a new one can grow out of it.
Secret Pope Mobile
The pope mobile at the 0 BPM stage at CCX.
Secret Space Pope
My final performance for the 2021 season of Harvestworks on Governor's Island. The Secret Pope goes to Space! Awesome visuals by Vaporstack.
Sofy Yuditskaya and Vaporstack Live at Ambient Chaos Out of Space Series 10-16-2021.
The Secret Pope teamed up with Vaporstack for some super futuristic space vibes.
Secret Pope --Shankaria 2.0
The Secret Pope is really getting into the healing and transformative power of music.
Secret Pope At The Time Crystal
Nighttime Pope in the desert.
Secret Pope @ The Time Crystal
A video documenting the structure of the Time Crystal built at Mars.College 2021 A project by Sofy Yuditskaya Engineered and Stewarded by Pseudo Holomorphic
Music by Sofy Yuditskaya and Charlie Funk Additional video by Vaporstack
During the Plague years the Secret Pope moved to the desert to minister to the voles and horse flies.
Secret Pope--Shankarian Theory--Prayers
A laser composition for the Pope. She got to present this at Vector Hacks in 2021
First Official Appearance
The first time the Secret Pope officially appeared on the gallery scene in NYC Secret Pope projected on the Manhattan Bridge as part of Lightyear NYC Curated by the awesome Steve Pavlovsky aka Liquid Light Show
The Secret Pope is an homage to Pope Joan, considered fictional in today’s society, but a beloved story during the middle ages of a female pope that rose through the ranks of Christianity with her wit and skill. I embody Pope Joan in secret, secluded in the forest of Pennsylvania unknown to anyone, but projected and replayed as a video, her spirit carried through the ether and electronic screen, hoping to bring back her legacy once more.
Secret Pope--Shankarian Theory-Apophenia
The Secret Pope hears voices of course, she tried to justify them with music and theory.
Lurking in the Woods
Creature Feature of the Secret Pope, this time she made her way out to rural Pennsylvania to hang out in the woods by the Appalachian Fish and Wildlife Research Center. If they only knew what else lurks in those woods.
Secret Pope @ the Edge of the World —Montauk
The very first appearance of the Secret Pope, shot while on site for a whole other project she saw the reflections of the sun on the ferns in this eery place full of ghosts, and possessed me. Ever since then I have been performing the will of the Secret Pope, whenever she calls.