Memoirs of the Abyss: Three Ecologies and More
Solstice Rebirth
20 June 2021
On Sunday 20 June, artist Elena Ortiz conducted a Summer Solstice Rebirth event in the woods between Snekkersten and Espergærde north of Copenhagen. In a clearing in the woods the participants were invited to speak in common about what the solstice means to them and whether they had ever experienced a rebirth or a similar event in their lives. Thereafter the group walked through the woods very slowly, one step at a time with one foot always remaining on the ground, taking the time to observe and sense everything around them. As it happened, it began to rain at this point.
Deeper into the woods the group stopped at a bend in the stream to build a cocoon, referring to Elena Ortiz's own piece Co-coon, which has taken on several forms, both out in nature and, at the time, in SixtyEight's exhibtion space. Thereafter each participant were asked to find a natural object - a piece of bark, a twig - to resperesent something which they wished to release from themselves. The object was left to wash away in the current while the person was undertaking the symbolic act of crossing the stream, before clambering up the opposite bank to regroup. At this point the sun came out and filtered down through the canopy onto the faces of the participants.