Kin Matter – Ritual Practices I-IV

Springing from a residency at Maria Church on Istedgade, Copenhagen Kin Matter – Ritual Practices I-IV was developed in the context of the social-ethical art project The Maria Project curated by Matthias Borello.

Kin Matter – Ritual Practices I-IV investigate how the notion of kinship can be extended to non-human life forms and materials in the context of the church and its services for people with urgent needs for sleep, food and social life. The series of multi-sensual Ritual Practices were facilitating relational practices with life sustaining matters: fire, clay, sourdough and textiles. Through the different workshops connections between the different users of the church and the materiality are deepened and expanded into a growing and living installation.

The community and workshop-based process culminated into Kin Matter – Ritual Practice V, a large participatory performance which as an alternative ritual for Maria Church invited for intimate connection to our existence, each other and the materials that sustain us.

Kin Matter – Ritual Practice I

Intervention with cob in church service and participatory building of clay oven in front of the church at Maria Church Square with Randi Kjær. Sound by Thilde Fjord Madsen.

Kin Matter – Ritual Practice II

Meditation with clay and production of drinking vessels during a ceramic workshop at the Maria Church. Sound by Thilde Fjord Madsen.

Kin Matter – Ritual Practice III

Participatory dough kneading with resident sourdough at Maria Church and public baking of bread in the clay oven constructed during Ritual Practice I at Maria Church Square. Sound by Thilde Fjord Madsen.

Kin Matter – Ritual Practice IV

Sewing and hand knitting workshop creating connecting and warmth-giving materials. Guided meditation for rest and sleep during the night shelter at the church. Sound by Thilde Fjord Madsen. Materials sponsored by Kirkens Korshær.

Kin Matter – Symposium

J&K’s performance and the background of Kin Matter (Ritual Practices I-V) was addressed and put into perspective during a symposium discussing notions of care and charity from a more-than-human perspective, living matter, basic needs and the power of ritual in forming communities and rituals. The symposium was created in collaboration with Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology and led into J&K’s performance Kin Matter – Ritual Practice V. 

The symposium brought together religious, ritualistic, social-ethical, activist and artistic practices with the intent to indicate a direction for future relationships between humans and other species – conventionally perceived by humans as resources and inert matter. During the symposium the audience was working with finger knitting and food was cooked in the church that was served afterwards.