Nicolaes Witsen, Sibirischer Schamane/ Shaman, 1692
Nature and Human People:Â Â Nature-Healing andRitual
Artists:Theresia Fauland-Nerat, Marina Stiegler, Susanne Wenger/Eva Ursprung, ILA, Christian KRI Kammerhofer, Igor F. Petković
Curated and opening by contemporary collective graz
(Iris Kasper, Ba. und Elisabeth Saubach, MA.)
Welcome: Town councillor Dr. Günter Riegler
Human and nature are connected since the beginning of their coexistence by the ritual with each other. This connection not only consists in the fact, that in early shamanic or religious rituals a diverse collection of herbal and animal objects from the nature assumed the material implementing of a ritual. In addition, many rituals with shamanic background deal with the spiritual connection with the nature and its energy.
The ritual describes generally a state change of the acting person. Besides, it is to be divided generally into three successive states: At the beginning the exercising person in the normal state. He or she is integrated solidly into a social network and accomplishes his or her competence therein. During the ritual it comes to the state of liminality. This is the transition period in which the exercising person is between both states, the old and the new. Liminality can appear in company of emotional conditions like fear, insecurity or loneliness. After the state of liminality is overcome the exercising person glides in the new state which becomes for certain duration the new normal state. Liminality is found in different life phases, as well as in the everyday life.
In the art liminality and the concomitant intensity emotion consistently is used by artists in installations and other media.