INNER SUN

— Fanum no.1 —

an exhibition / liturgy in collaboration with Sol Oosel at joségarcía ,mx (Mérida — México)

( connecting with the light within
in order to transcend it )

Fanum no.1 (Inner Sun) is a liturgy/exhibition composed by several stages, the final one being Inner Sun (Lumen Naturae); a light and sound piece that materializes inside each of its witnesses.
Upon entering the gallery, an antechamber with the intention of cleanse and renewal (Identity Found and Lost) welcomes the visitors, then comes a liminal fire ceremony (let’s point to the gates of the sun and the land of dreams) to open onself to the unknown, next, a rotating sculpture designed to be played by two people at the same time (Litany - Oneness) works like a mantra to transcend the phenomenology of human experience and in particular its illusion of individuality and separation.

The above three pieces were conceived to assist the visitors during the journey, and for them to arrive open and focused to Inner Sun (Lumen Naturae), the climax of the liturgy.
Lumen Naturae is a term from the alchemic tradition that refers to the idea of light within darkness, or inner light.
The soundtrack for each of the Inner Sun (Lumen Naturae) performances is unique and created in-situ by Sol Oosel while he experiences the flickering light show himself.

The tradition of inducing extra-ordinary states of consciousness through sound and flickering lights is not new. There are stories that tell how Nostradamus rhythmically shook his hand while staring at the sun in order for the flickering sunlight to alter his waking state, yaki indians have been known to play with flashlights during peyote ceremonies, and more recently Brion Gysin and William Borroughs created the “dream machine”. A rotating device to look at with your eyes closed that produces visual stimuli. In the recent decades we’ve seen a revisitation of flickering light in rave culture, where states of transcendence once again are aided with repetitive music and flashing lights.
Auditory driving (inducing altered states of consciousness through steady drumming) is still the most widely used tool in shamanic traditions around the world to enter a state of trance.
“Identity Found and Lost” and “Liminal Fire (let’s point to the gates of the sun and the land of dreams)” are atavistic exercises for self-awareness and inner expansion, while “Litany (Oneness)” and “Inner Sun (Lumen Naturae)” rely on repetition to transcend our ordinary states of consciousness and connect with a realm of revery within.

Ana Montiel, 2018