Robert Steijn: When the Midsummer Sun kisses the Strawberry Moon

Robert Steijn: When the Midsummer Sun kisses the Strawberry Moon

mit Juliette Eröd · Masoumeh Jalalieh · Rotraud Kern · Philip Leitner · Laura Pudelek · Agnes Schneidewind · Oneka von Schrader · Robert Steijn · Daniel Zimmermann (Performance)

The wild strawberries that start to ripen during early summer gave name to June’s Full Moon: the Strawberry Moon. Arriving during the summer solstice, this full moon is rooted in renewal and abundance, serving as a symbol of growth and gratitude for the Earth’s offerings. It is often seen as a celestial reset button. Just as the sun reaches its peak, the strawberry moon acts like a cosmic invitation to let go of what is not longer needed and embrace fresh perspectives. As a full moon that typically appears in June, the Strawberry Moon represents a time of reflection and appreciation for the bountiful blessings in life, while also encouraging individuals to cultivate their deepest desires and aspirations to reconnect with the nature in full growth. So it is a magical time, in which we can establish a deep connection with the earth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish.

A group of mostly Vienna based musicians, dancers and actors, who investigates the liminal space between art, eco-activism and spirituality organises a full moon ceremony exactly on the dates of the Strawberry Moon, one day after the summer solstice. It will be in the structure of a collective ceremony to reconnect with nature, evoked by a kaleidoscope of fragments of personal songs, concerts, streams of thoughts and dances. All these performative events give us reflections how not to lose hope in time of climate change and how to honour our interconnectedness with the more than human world. Strawberries included.

The event strawberry moon is the second event in Echoraum of a group of mostly Vienna based artists strongly interested in making a bridge between art and ecological concerns . In april they presented the ritual “ Sun/Moon/Kiss/ Earth. Both events have their origins in the performative practices of Robert Steijn, an Amsterdam based choreographer. In the summer of 2022 he was asked not to show a performance, but to share his practice as a performative magician (playing with the perception time and space) on stage during the festival „hidden connections – visible ecologies‘ in Oslo. His movement-based practice as choreographer, strongly connected with the nature elements, is influenced by Santo Daime ceremonies in Mexico, his intitiation in the serpent deity Oxumare in Sao Paolo, and life burial meditations in collaboration with Elle/the Monastery in Brussels. The sharing of the result of these practices in Oslo resulted into a collective ritual of reflection about a more magic relationship with the earth.

Dance research centre ImFlieger, the gallery Eindorf supported his idea to expand this ritual in collaboration with other artists. During the residency in ImFlieger the cellist and performer Laura Pudelek joined. ( January 2023) In the two residencies in Eindorf ( April and October 2023), makers form the Viennese dance world joined the team. The musician Philip Leitner joined the first event in Echoraum, and for this strawberry moon ceremony the Vienna based dancer/performance artist Oneka von Schrader and the actress/performance artist Juliette Eröd ( working at Theater im Bahnhof/Graz) will join.

with the support of Laterna, Oslo, ImFlieger/ Vienna, Eindorf / Vienna, Österreichisch-Portugiesische Gesellschaft/ Vienna