Performance Art: an unconventional form of theatrical performance that can occur using a variety of media, anywhere, anytime, and for any length of time
Ritual: a state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine
Performance Art Rituals are an ancient art form, connected with the power of community gathering, prayer and ceremony. Think about Native American Rain Dances, African Warrior Dances, Catholic Mass, Jewish Seders, and Weddings as a few examples and the deeply rooted cultural roles they play. There is a certain type of sacred power that performing such rituals contain, an energy that comes from a traditional routine passed along for generations. Some new age practitioners and scientists are even looking into the energy fields that are created over time by the repetition of such events, but more on that another time.
Contemporary Western life contains "minor" forms of performance art rituals: one could see a morning cup of coffee while reading the paper or the attendance of an annual sport or theatrical event (like the Super Bowl or Nutcracker) as types of it. Today marks the 2nd Anniversary of the historic Presidential inauguration, which is a good example of one. It was indeed an event attended by a large number of people, involving various performances and a traditional practice passed down for many generations (the swearing in, among other elements). I feel that creating personalized performance art rituals in your life is a great way to manifest more vital creative energy.
Clean Square from Jason Jenn on Vimeo.
For me personally, today also marks the 2nd Anniversary of the collaborative creation of my own contemporary performance art ritual: the Clean Square Project - created on a busy urban sidewalk just three blocks away from my loft in MacArthur Park. It was performed at the same time as the inauguration as a symbolic gesture of cleaning up the energy of the past administration and paving the way for a new reality. I really love the message and visuals this project conveyed, and while I looked forward to the creation of many more, some unfortunate issues prevented it from happening. Still, I happily share this footage as an example of what is possible with Contemporary Performance Art Ritual and hope that someday soon it may be revived by its collaborator.
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