Stoning nr.1
Stoning nr.2
Offering
In the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria, stones are regarded as both containing and representing their divinities. They are understood to be alive and perceived as sources of power. The stones generally undergo a baptism rite. This allows them to be “born”. The process involves the stone’s washing in a mixture of herbs and water, after which the stones are “fed” with animal blood.
While standing on the legendary wall of the Malecon in Havana, Athar casts 60 of such stones in the sea in an exercise of letting go.
Conditioning
Anointing
An investigation focussed on finding a common ground among different religions pointed to the fact that most religions practice rituals that are centered around the anointment of specific stones that are considered sacred. In this performance Athar Jaber attempt to bring attention to this fact and to unite them all in one overarching ritual.