The Ritual Of Embrace

The Ritual of Embrace doesn’t come from a particular culture, yet it connects to many and enacts universal human values. In this ritual, ordinary things become unordinary by welcoming the primal forces of connection through movement, voicing, and touch. Here the participants are invited to playful interactions through soft sculptures. The culmination of the performance is a collective physical and energetic massage. In this process, attention, care and trust towards ourselves and each other open up. We believe that this sensory and energetic experience, individually and as a collective, allows for deepening awareness and feeling a part of a greater whole. The ritual is supported by an electronic ancestral musical set, composed by Nag Champa.PL and live played Himalayan singing bowls.

The Ritual of Embrace was supported by Amsterdam Fonds Voor Kunst 2024, and was shown at the Lorelei Festival, Pleinkamer (The Bookstore Foundation), Lycka (Urban Resort) and in the DAY Collective studio. In June the performance will take place at the Tekentuin festival at the Drawing Center Dippenheim.

full video

After this series of performances, we collected the written and spoken experiences of participants.

The first word that comes to mind is freedom. Freedom of movement, thoughts, freedom from fears and doubts, freedom from anxiety. Plus, the creators of this ritual possess the rare magical energy, in which those around them, even the most constrained and shy, enter into a silent dialogue, and break free.. This is really stronger than psychotherapy and hypnosis, it is magic. I would like as many people as possible to experience this. The body often can say more and help more than some specialists of psychology, — Marina Kai

**Performance at Pleinkamer, 2024, photo by** **Marina Kai**

The performance really gave me a feeling of connection and happiness. Of course these moments also come with some awkwardness but that feeling quickly went away. I think you really set a nice tone with all these elements of togetherness, — Peter Both

Performance during 4-5 May, at DAY Studio, supported by 4-5 Mei

**The session with Ukraninan ladies in our studio 2023**

The weight of the sculptures creates an effect of safety and groundness to the one who is covered. At the same time, it invites one’s imagination to intricate associations. This act of rebirth repeats with anyone who wants to experience it.

**Performance during On The Way To Wonder Opening, Photo by Bookstore Foundation**

The soft sculptures are made in duo during ritualistic sessions in our studio, involving movement, voicing and meditation in stillness. Here we tune into a full embodied presence together and allow the creative stream to move through us in a wordless dialogue. This silent dialogue includes aspects of deep listening and letting go of control. In this creative ritual, one of us initiates the cut on fabric and the other responds. Responding to each other’s cut line continues till the shape is complete. The sculptures are made from organic cotton and hemp and natural filling: buckwheat, millet and cherry pits.