Transcript:
Historically, we find this same symbol speaking to similar meaning, across different cultures that were clearly disconnected in space and time. Any idea? Of course you know, you read it in the episode title...
My name is Camille, you’re listening to Cosmic Dynamics, 5 min of exploration on art, change & the music of the universe.
The labyrinth is one of our oldest symbols; it depicts the way to the unknown center, the mystery of death and rebirth, the risk of the search, the danger of losing the way, the quest, the finding and ability to return.
The labyrinth has long been used as a meditation and prayer tool, and as a deep structural metaphor that has guided human thought for thousands of years. So, it can probably keep guiding us right now, don’t you think? If change involves the mind, and it does, we have to consider the labyrinth.
It’s such a vast topic that we can’t dive very deep into it in just 5 minutes but my suggestion is to periodically touch on labyrinths & mazes to keep exploring what they can offer, one idea at the time, one art piece at the time.
Today I’ll start with one basic idea… so basic we often forget to apply it to our relationships, to our psychology, to solving the systems we build and get trapped into as humans. The best way to exit the labyrinth - and most often the only way - is by its entrance.
We tend to enter a labyrinth imagining there is an exit on the other side, or we realise too late that we just entered is a labyrinth. And we keep walking, walking… instead of accepting to retrace our steps to find the entrance … or maybe it’s too late, and we just lost ourselves…
Today I am featuring the work of Soukaina Aziz el Idrissi, a fantastic visual artist and surface designer from Casablanca in Morocco. The piece that inspired me is a giant labyrinth made out of 16 tons of plastic packaging waste. I’ll let you discover the story and visuals of the piece on her website (links in the notes).
What other systems, situations, stories have you identified - where retracing our steps towards the entrance might be the best thing to do?
If change involves the mind – and it does 🙂 – we have to consider the labyrinth. This episode features the work of artist Soukaina Aziz El Idrissi: Al Mataha / Labyrinth
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Thank you for tuning in.
Camille
