A Ritual of Transcendence –Finding a Divinity Within

Virtual Matter(S)

Performance Art  Online Series

Curated by Kathie Halfin

Hive Art Community, Newyork USA
Jan 16th, 2021

My Performance was selected for Performance Art online series and it was second lined up after Susan Luss and Kate Quardfort and followed by Patricia Correa
I performed 'A Ritual of Transcendence –Finding a Divinity Within'  on 16th early morning at 6am India Time 2021

The idea was to bring transforming experience in others even if it one a true performance act when we initiate and transform and one to experience and transcendence make an experiential provoke thoughts emotions with our body action. During this pandemic period, it is become difficult to have intimate and close interaction with our audiences and thus making it difficult to make it physically experiential. I feel there is still a potential of transforming through online interaction and make it experiential work although it is difficult but not impossible. The approach to this transformative act will change a bit for an online audience. The Pandemic has forced people to cut out from social gatherings and spaces, having an adverse effect on the psychology of human beings. We being a social animal it is vital to have to connect the outer world get support both morally and Psychological during this difficult time. For this project, my idea is to bring in the divine element in the central perspective which is cathartic healing and transforming.

Many pre-pandemic works have been one-to-one interactive performance work share ritual and shamanistic practice with my audiences. I have done several experiments in the whole of 2020 with online performance with this experience I have a grasp-in bringing experiential elements through my ritual acts. I have done several performance interventions responding reacting and contemplating the immediate situation encountered both psychologically and philosophically. Finding contemplating space within these territories of everyday rituals transcend both physical and mental space by finding deeper meaning in the ritual act of filtering both conscious and subconscious mind.

I come from Jain and Hindu family that follow several rituals to introspect within us and find the divinity within us for much peace and healing. These rituals are engrossing in the act and Cathartic and healing in nature, even if one who watches it can enter that state. I metaphorically use the same philosophy to see doing Ritual act transforming the space and time and beyond. I usually build my workspace for each performance to enhance and make it more engaging and experiential to attain that particular state for my audience.

For this performance Also I built my own space which created an ambiance for contemplation. it was an attempt a performative intervention that brought varied layers in these spaces of folding and unfolding both Conscious and subconscious states of mind. it was a sound-based performative work for a 15 minutes online performance.

With New normal people are persistently spending most of the time in virtual spaces, Losing contact with oneself by which forget to find divinity within. We get lost excessively in information and online material of entertainment we lose touch with ourselves and my attempt through performance was to see the life and spirit within with a positive attitude and seeing Divinity within.

Dimple B Shah Jan 2021