Circles and rotation

[Pip Shea]

The circle, and the notion of rotation seem to be strong symbols in Turkish culture. From the circle inked on to the bride's hand during henna night, to the skirts of the whirling dervishes,
to the Sufi philosophy that the universe stems from the same point of rotation.

The individual whirling dervish dancers actually represent the sun and the stars. The senior dancer (Lafife) represents the sun, and the junior dancers (Hanatia) represent the stars and move around him. They all move against the clock, in a concurrent circles echoing the four seasons and very much like the pilgrims’ movement around Kaba (The Muslims’ holy shrine).

Once the senior dancer stretches his right hand upward while pointing down with his left, he establishes the connection between the earth and the sky. Moving in circles, the dancer is alleviating his wordily burdens, reaching ecstasy in a symbolical attempt to approach heaven.

I am keen to incorporate circles and rotation in to the installation as I keep coming across references to them as I research ideas about light in Turkish culture.