Rituals and Beliefs

How burying a bird humanizes it and baking sweets flips the patriarchy. Artists here are reimagining tradition, one ritual at a time. “Rite” is a meditative and therapeutic practice where you'll witness a hypnotic dance around the fire to the beat of trance-inducing drums. The artist's movements here mirror the flickering flames. Through this ritual, she celebrates the liberating power of the human body. In "A Short Story About Death," Ivan Bambalin buries a small bird he found by chance. As he moves, we not only sense the sadness of loss but also see the bird as a living being, imagining its life and feelings. This shows the impact of funerals — a tradition known across all cultures. You already speak this language, even if you've never learned it – the language of dance. In “Universal Tongue,” the artist combined nearly 9,000 dance videos from the internet to create one dance performance. Ever heard of X-9239-Y? It's the digital agent featured in a video essay with the same name. The entity introduces itself, cracks jokes about God, and most importantly, challenges the sanity of our world. In “Puja,” Vika Ilyushkina documents an Indian cleansing ritual performed by pilgrims after a long journey to the Ganges River. Through fast-paced editing and immersive sounds, the artist conveys the sensations of the believers, allowing viewers to experience their transformative journey. The Three Hares symbol is among the world's most mysterious. Found in caves and churches globally, its meaning and associated rituals remain unknown. In “Eternal Revolutions of Techne,” Wendi animates these creatures in their original Chinese cave, offering her interpretation of their origins. An artist's process can feel like a mysterious ritual. In 'Heavy Rotation,' Chris Larson's intense painting literally tears through the canvas, forming a black hole, all shown through shifts in perspective, not fancy video effects. In “Lost in Rotation,” the artist's elderly mother walks with a toy horse in a dim corridor. It’s a touching tale exploring themes of aging, loneliness, and caregiving rituals. “Eclosión” tells the story of birth, self-discovery, and freedom. The protagonist breaks free from a snowy cocoon, drifts through space, and then finds herself in the forest to become its part. What ritual does this journey bring to mind for you? Ever chat with yourself while cooking? Jemima Burrill knows the drill. In her funny show “How to Make a Man,” she jokes, “Cooking is like relationships, if it ain't messy, the bread won't rise.” Making gingerbread men, she pokes fun at relationship stereotypes. “JEUX D'ENFANTS" takes you back to childhood with a tug-of-war. This documentary explores kids' play, one of humanity's oldest rituals, shaping their understanding of the world.