VISIONARY ART EXHIBITION
Devotional whirling
9th July 7pm
Page Title
What is Devotional whirling or "Dancing before Heaven"?
"Dancing before Heaven" is rooted in 2 symbolic events in the mysterious Life I came to experience, one from this reincarnated life, the other from much more ancient.
First, "Dancing before Heaven" is the translation of the type of dance performed by some Korean shamans during sacred ceremonies called "Muchonje". There are some similar aspects with the Sufi mystical whirling such as entering a trance state to connect to God and imitating the natural movement of the planets orbiting the Sun in our galaxy.
In Korea, Manshin or shamans move in a rhythmic motion and often spin or whirl during their "Gut" or sacred rituals while in state of trance to connect to their Gods and invoke particular Deities.
Contrary to the Western world where mythologies are mostly described and passed down in written form, in Korea, a big part of the myths were and are narrated or sang during sacred rituals called "gut" performed by shamans. Therefore, "guts" are 5000 year-old rituals that have a direct influence Korean culture and psyche.
Second, the official birthday I thought to be my real one ( but is not), happened to be the 3rd October. This date corresponds to the National Foundation Day in Korea called "Gaecheonjol" which means "Opening of Heaven" My whirling practices are inherently connected to my ancestral heritage and my somatic impulses to remember through the body those myths that have been passed down from generation to generation in my family as I explore the knowledge and wisdom of the body.
Our body possess infinite intelligence, an ancient memory far greater than this incarnated life. I've been dancing for the last 6 years or so and I would often end up whirling naturally and effortlessly, my body would just start going around and around, experiencing a state of trance where "I" do not exist and feel this powerful energy opening from within , allowing me to experience the non-existence which has a subtle yet profound effect in my "normal" state of awareness. Since 2020, I've been regularly practicing whirling as a part of my exploration into my personal and Ancestral memory as well as a devotional practice to express my profound gratitude for this incredibly beautiful and mysterious Life.
It's my soul's wish to share this prayer of gratitude and connection through movement with others.
About the artist
I feel that art is finding its way through us when we are open to the possibilities and willing to trust the mysteries and the unknown. There's a greater power of Intelligence beyond our imagination that is the fundamental weaving of Life.
Art came to me as a mystical surprise 8 years ago following a spiritual experience that transformed my life in an instant while living in South Korea. Along with the re-connection to my ancestors came the deep and powerful inspiration to explore art and creativity through painting, dance/movement and working with my dreams.
I feel sincerely inspired to share the wisdom and the power of creativity and art with others so that we can live more connected to ourselves, therefore with others and everything that exists.