What is ritual? What was ritual thousands of years ago, and what is it today? What was it for the person living in ancient times, and how did the ritualic practices transfer to modern times? Some scientists say that rituals are embedded in our psyche, as if we have natural regulating mechanisms activated by ritualistic practices.

These triggers and mechanisms are from primitive and ancient times, where rituals were an integral part of the daily lives of human beings and a mechanism of how the community worked. They were vital for creating a boundary, a space of transition between what was before and what is right now, who someone was and who he is becoming. Rituals were also very important for social gatherings and marking the passing of time, such as seasonal or seeding and harvest rituals.Thus, with the passing of time a need has grown in the very psyche of the human that requires the sacredness that rituals entail. Modern society has tried to encompass rituals under the form of bachelor parties, coming of age parties, graduation ceremonies. While these social processes do mark a passing of one state to another, they lack the qualities and context that rituals have, and thus the psychological need is not attained.

One of the most ancient (and slightly documented) rituals is Demeter's ritual, or the Eleusinian mysteries. The Mysteries are one of the oldest and longest-running rituals of humankind (that has been written about), it took place around Athens, during the harvest season, and it was a 8-day walking ritual between Athens and Eleusis, where Telesterion, Demeter's temple, was located.

Invited artists: Porter Ellerman, Oana Talina, Lucía Callén (Lucía Sombras), Alina Tofan, Ana R. Espejo
Video: Ainara García, Alberto Monreal