THE FINAL BLESSING
June 2020
Basement installation: video with sound and text, iPad, sound piece, speakers, wooden kneeler
"The Final Blessing" is an installation that is made up of 2 main elements: the video piece "Make Me Worthy" and the sound piece, "Birds, I am searching for a sound of home".
The individual elements can be played and listened to individually below or by clicking on the menu bar on the right side of this page. Please scroll down to watch the video documentation to experience them both simultaneously.
DOCUMENTATION
*some images are taken in the light just for documentation purposes
VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
Please play the video below with sound. It is documented in the first-person perspective to serve as a simulation of how it is like to experience the installation in person. This video documents the sound piece and the video piece playing together, as well as the almost pitch-black setting of the basement. The video piece, "Make Me Worthy" is not accurately documented here due to the low light setting. Please scroll below to see the video piece with clarity.
BIRDS, I AM SEARCHING FOR A SOUND OF HOME
June 2020
Looped sound piece played via a speaker. You may want to play this in the background while you watch the video piece below to experience them together.
MAKE ME WORTHY
June 2020
Video piece with sound and text. You may want to play this while also playing the sound piece above at the same time to have a more accurate experience of the installation. Below this video is a transcript of the texts used in this video piece.
TRANSCRIPT OF "MAKE ME WORTHY"
Water thy plant
Water thy plant
with holy water
Bless thy plant
with holy water
Cleanse thy hands
Cleanse thy hands
Cleanse thy hands
Wash away my sins
Cleanse thy soul
Make me worthy
Cleanse thy soul
Make me worthy
Cleanse thy hands
Cleanse thy soul
Cleanse me from my sins
Cleanse thy feet
(We are not pure spirit.)
Cleanse thy feet
(We are not just private individuals.
Today,
the world speaks about a new normal.)
Cleanse thy feet
(In truth,
the new normal, is not normal.)
Bless thy feet
(We are created to be sacramental beings.
We have a body,
we need to touch;
we need to feel.)
Forgive me for I have sinned
(We are social beings;
we need to be connected.
We need someone to give us a hug,)
Forgive me for I have sinned
(we need tangible signs of love.
We are no longer
personally present to one another.)
Cleanse thy feet
(And this has resulted in alienation.
We can understand)
Cleanse thy soul
(the concern of our Holy Father.
In one of his
online masses,
he expressed concerns
that with the streaming of online masses,
it might lead to
a situation)
Release thyself
(where Catholics
begin to privatise the faith.)
Cleanse thy hands
(That the eucharist becomes a private devotion.)
Cleanse thy mouth
(Without the community,
without the sacraments,
without the eucharist)
Brush thy teeth
(and that would be
contrary
not just to our identity
but to our faith.)
with holy water
(But having said this,
we cannot)
with holy water
(dismiss the value
of
making use of technology.
Simply because,)
Make me worthy
(the grace of God)
Cleanse me from my sins
(cannot be hindered
by any barriers that humanity had put up.)
Forgive me for I have sinned
(Indeed, there are many people)
Cleanse thy mouth
(that have been brought closer to God.
Many of them also have shared
that actually,
they have grown closer,
personally,
to the lord
because they could worship without distraction,
they can give full attention,
they learn to interiorise)
Make holy these gifts I bring
(what they say.
When during normal times,
When they attended church services,)
Bless this bread
(they tend to be distracted,
they are late for services,
they are looking for a parking lot.
And most of the time,
because they are distracted,
participation eucharist
would just be)
And bless this wine
(a perfunctory,
a routine manner
without meaning
what they say,
what they think.)
Break bread
And eat of it
This is my body
Lift up your cup
And drink from it
This is my blood
Take my sins
Bless these ashes
Which we intend to receive upon our heads
We are but ashes
And shall return to dust
Forgive me for I have sinned
Cleanse me from my sins
Set me free
Remember that you dust
And to dust you shall return
Forgive thy soul
And make thee worthy.