OCEANUS. A new ritual 2019 - 2021
Rituals resemble stones; they are imperturbable, unalterable and self- contained. Rituals are the exact opposite of human indefiniteness. Rituals release the participants from their daily questions and insecurities. Rituals can tame emotions without suppressing them. Rituals clasp the individual in the firm grip of the group. Rituals communicate that which nobody is able to express or understand. Rituals assuage the desire for meaning through their perfect form. Rituals give the person something to hold on to as compensation for his/her lack of ‘completeness’.
– Walter Weyns
Oceanus was an object-based performance made entirely from ceramics, developed by Erin and Gosia during a three-month residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre in Oisterwijk.
In this interactive performance, the audience was invited to connect with the phenomenon of water. Water is often taken for granted, yet the water scarcity in the Netherlands in the hot summer of 2018 served as a poignant reminder of its preciousness. With climate change, many people around the world now face uncertainty about clean drinking water.
Looking to create a ritual to show our reverence and gratitude towards water, Oceanus guided the audience past three ceramic altars: two ceramic hands, representing water as a scarcity; a ceramic boat symbolising water's role in connecting people and goods; and a bathtub, representing water in abundance.
As the audience moved from altar to altar, they held small ceramic objects in their hands, such as droplets, noses and ears, and became part of the work. During the procession, dancers performed rituals to guide the participants through a meditative experience deeply appreciative of the water in our lives.