Spirits on Both Sides.
A collective memorial space in honor of Hungry Ghost Month
with experimental musician & artist, Arrington de Dionyso
Wednesday August 17, 2016
7-9pm
Donation entry (suggested $15)
Artwork by Arrington de Dionyso, 'Angels and Shamans Holding Space for Transition', 2015.
Ghost Month is an annual Taoist festival which honors the deceased through gestures of compassion and reverence. Considered to be a time when the spirits are present among the living, it is customary to make offerings of food, flowers, candles and paper ‘spirit money’ to your ancestors, to bring them peace and redemption and to reflect upon the way you live your own life. According to the lunar calendar, this year the festival occurs in August with ‘Ghost Day’ occurring on Wednesday August 17th.
Inner Fields will be creating a collective memorial space for this occasion, with acclaimed experimental musician and artist, Arrington de Dionyso. Guests will be invited to bring photographs, mementos or symbols of loved ones who have now passed, or to personally contribute fruit or flowers as offerings. Arrington will be playing the lalove; a rare, traditional bamboo instrument from Central Sulawesi with a hypnotic sound of rich overtones created through circular breathing. Originally played by shamans during ceremonies and funerals, the lalove is considered to have healing powers, bringing ease to both troubled spirits and the afflicted living.
The lalove is invested with a deep, intimate energy for Arrington, who has performed the instrument for its healing and meditational powers at three different memorial services; for his mother and two friends, all who passed away prematurely from cancer.
“Music and medicine have been connected since very ancient times in almost every part of the world. I would like for this to be less of a "performance" and more an invitation for participants to take in the sounds as having an actual true healing power, whether that be to help with a grieving process, reach a meditative or prayerful state, or to set an intention of some kind.”
Guests will be invited to lie down to listen and take in the healing and sacred sounds of this instrument. Candles and paper 'spirit money' will be provided as offerings to those now passed.
Arrington de Dionyso (b. January 4th 1975) is a self-taught artist and musician based in Olympia, Washington, known for his leading role in the bands Old Time Relijun and Malaikat dan Singa. Dionyso's drawings are featured on fabric prints and embroidery in Yves Saint Laurent's Spring/Summer 2015 Men's Collection designed by Hedi Slimane. His most recent books are "Trance Dancers of the Open Flower", "Le Sacre du Printemps", and "Lovers and Dragons". His most recent 24 hour drawing performances have been at the "Festival Invisible" in Brest, France, "Hybrida" in Udine, Italy in 2014, "The Living Gallery" in Brooklyn, NY and "Open Space Gallery" in Baltimore, MD.