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November 1, 2001
This is a time
of year when many cultures hold rituals in observance of
the thinning of the veil between the physical an the spiritual:
Hallowed Eve, El Dia De Difuntos, All Souls Day, and Succoth
are some of these. At a time when we are building walls
between cultures, it seems appropriate to envision those
walls as a permeable membrane rather than a rigid barrier.
At 6 o’clock , 9 o’clock, and midnight, there
were processions into the space with singing, movement,
and prayer flags. Some people left their shoes at the entrance.
The circular space was entered by walking the periphery
through a passageway formed on the inner side by a translucent
veil of gauze. People walked through the veil from their
ordinary lives into a world they are not familiar with.
Inside, four tents approximately 10 by 10 feet square, each
different, were located at the four cardinal directions,
North, South, East and West. People may think of themselves
as nomads, receptive to new experience, open to walking
in the shoes of another. A labyrinth, defined by thousands
of pairs of shoes, lead to each of the tents, one by one,
and finally to a gathering place in the center. Four teams
of artists built the tents, which were used as gathering
places for different rituals during the evening. Different
artists acted as hosts for a period of time in a tent inviting
us to express and experience a different language through
different art forms (poetry, music, painting etc.). For
instance, in a tent devoted to movement a very simple exchange
was possible by inviting us to come, one at a time, into
stillness and then allowing a shape or gesture to occur,
and that stillness giving us access to the emotional content
stored there. A group of Afghan women hosted one tent for
a a period of time, inviting us to share our feelings about
issues concerning them and us. These were invitations to
participate, not requirements. Other offerings occurred
in the spaces between the tents by artists from all disciplines
as well as by members of the public. On leaving, everyone
received an Invitation to Life and Love in the form of a
scroll of paper containing one-line practical actions an
individual can take to further peace, healing, and community.
They will be wrapped around single matches—symbolizing
the power of individuals to act for life and love in times
of darkness. Artists from all the arts participated in this
event.
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