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