Final publication
Liat Gilad
June 2017
Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy
1. Everything is sacred
2. I talk to the wind
3. Synagogue in the sun
4. Mandala ceremony
Everything is sacred
I explore the physical plane of
sacred objects, the spiritual plane
of sacred rituals, and trying to find
out what elements in sacredness
gives us humans a sense of meaning,
if at all.
What makes something sacred?
What makes a sacred object
different than any other object?
Is there anything in the world that
is not alive?
What is not considered alive? Are
the physical and the spiritual can be
separated at all?
We encounter the spiritual
everywhere and all the time, but
there are places , people , objects
and sounds that take us to a
different state of consciousness, to
a sense of transcendence, and
make us feel that there is something
greater around us, outside of our
physical bodies and daily
harassment.
I began opening myself to spiritual
ideas that allow one to observe
objects or places as if they have a
human spirit, with feelings and
thoughts. These ideas can be
found in ancient beliefs such as
shamanism and animism.
I talk to the wind
I began to ask the metals I work with
what it wants to tell me, and how
does it feel about being worn.
These thoughts gave birth to a
small series of personification rings
and pendants that is allowing the
spirit of the object to be heard.
I come from somewhere.
I have a soul.
I am alive,
Just like you.
Can you help me feel prettier?
No one really looked at me for
quite a while…
I promise to make you feel good,
make you happy, if you do the same
for me.
Yours truly, Ring
55 words poem
For a few years now, I have been
walking across this fallen tree, near
my studio, and feeling very strong
emotions and connection to the
tree. In a way this tree is dead, but
yet so alive. I choose this tree and
the field around it to be the place
for my "Position" project, and ever
since it is "My sacred tree".
Trying to understand the relationship
between people and objects they find
sacred, I asked a group of friends to
find 5-7 items from their personal life,
and to gather them into a "sacred
bundle"- a native American term for
one's personal bundle of objects that
tells a personal story of who you are
and what you find sacred in your life,
alongside having the bundle as
protective objects in time of need.
The continuation of my "Position"
project will be making a series of
sacred objects with bits of
branches from the sacred tree,
combined with materials and
objects I find meaningful and
sacred. The objects from the
"sacred bundle" request, allows me
to find links and see what people
find sacred in their lives and to go
deeper and deeper into the
subject.
Synagogue in the sun
My daily trip was to a synagogue in
Munich, on a Jewish holiday called
Purim. While sitting there I was
imagining everything around me is
alive. The walls, the windows, the
books and especially all the things I
couldn’t see with my eyes like the
dust in the air or the earth under the
building. I began to wonder if the
books are happy to be opened, if the
chairs enjoy the songs from today's
prayer, and how do the windows feel,
now that the sun is shining after a
long dark winter.
I took the holy book "Ester
Megila" I was given in the entrance
and cut some figures out of it, and
created compositions with them.
Something in them didn’t seem to
be extremely happy. All I could
sense from them was question
marks and a bit of uncomfortable
movement.
Mandala ceremony
The second task was a trial to connect
the fields of research I’m looking into. I
wanted to make something in honor of
the tree, and doing it through a personal
ceremony. While working on an assay
about Tibetan singing bowls I came
across the fact that the bowls were
crafted by monks who used to chant and
pray during the making process. It made
me wonder if sacred powers and specific
energy can be placed into an object in
the making process, and if that can add a
whole new value to a hand crafted piece.
That led me into the idea of the
ceremony I ended up doing.
The day began with visiting the
tree, meditating near it, and
collecting pieces from the area, to
have with me in the ceremony. The
ceremony was to take place at night
time. The weaving process held in it
the intension of weaving the spirit
of the tree with us humans who
enjoy its presents, and to make a 4
elements mandala in its honor.
The ceremony was very powerful,
and full of emotions and sacred
feelings and thoughts. The
shamanic music that was playing,
the darkness of the night, the
dancing fire, and my weaving hands,
led by intuitive movements, turned
the making process into a whole
new experience of making and
creating.
Strong wind
Deep water
Tall trees
Warm fire
I can feel it in my body
I can feel it in my soul.
Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy Everything is sacred everything is holy