RITUAL

Is it through rituals that we become aware of the importance of our creative acts?

The definition of a ritual in the dictionary is “A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.”

Rituals are characterized by a sequence of events performed with a higher purpose, often suggesting a degree of formality and sacredness. We participate in order to “become”. Like birthdays and weddings, rituals are events worthy of a ceremony, signaling the importance of the event itself. Historically, rituals were used as a way to reinforce people’s relationship to God and their beliefs. Religious practices are dependent on rituals in order to strengthen the human relationship with spiritual matters - it’s a chance to freely practice what we believe in.

Rituals also emerge during our most ordinary moments - how we prepare our first meal of the day, how we dress in the morning or the way we practice physical activity. While routines are made of sequences of fixed tasks, rituals shape more meaningful actions attached to a higher sense of purpose. Participating in a ritual demands mindfulness while routines simply demand completion.

But how can we perceive the notion of rituals in the context of art? Are artworks ultimately embedded in rituals?