Is it possible to create art that is not sacred? For a Damanhurian artist, such a question is a genuine provocation! In fact, if you ask them if their art is sacred or not, in all likelihood they would tilt their head, looking at you questioningly: art is sacred by definition. Falco Tarassaco, the inspirer and founder of Damanhur, says:
“Art is something that transcends the individual, it is not just an individual element, it is an element that comes from outside; like the divine spark. When we overcome an adequate threshold in experimentation, in daring, in launching, in creating a special environment, then the artistic spark arrives, which then does not go out any more. Artistic illumination comes from outside, it is a divine blessing, it is the touch of madness that only gods can give, it is that element that goes beyond, the creative principle of added value.”
The divine breath that is inside everyone
Therefore, art is always sacred, because it allows the expression of the best parts of us, because it is the result of the encounter between personal talent and an inspiration that comes from outside of us, because beauty and harmony are two vectors of spirituality. This is how the great wall paintings on Damanhurian houses, statues, theatrical performances, songs and even many more particular works, such as the artefacts made in artisan laboratories, straddled practicality and artistic expression. Art is sacred because in its expressions it intertwines so many elements that make it a complex event, which enriches who is the protagonist and who is its user. Art is always sacred because it exalts the divine breath that is in everyone.
The joy of creative process
Sometimes, however, it is a little more. At times, art becomes meditation, prayer, an expression of awareness that enriches the works of added value. Everyone has their own vital energy to offer to others and joy is born from this offering. From the joy, we develop the understanding that we are all constantly involved in a creative process that is a sacred act of connection with the divine and with nature: the artist from this point of view, is the medium of a human group and not an individualist. This understanding awakens gratitude, respect and balance between oneself and the whole. This happens when art is addressed not only to other humans but to the forces of the spiritual ecosystem that surround us.
An ingredient of the ritual
So-called “sacred” art is, for example, that of the Temples of Humankind, where paintings, mosaic floors and precious glass celebrate the divine part of the human being. Even the rituals of the Solstices and the Equinoxes are an example of sacred art: the Damanhurian ritual is in fact full of rhythms, music, dance and song. Also in this case, art is not just an element that increases the preciousness of the event but an essential ingredient of the ritual, understood as time and space dedicated to communication with the sacred, which favors in the present the opening of unusual channels of comprehension. In this case, art is an allegory of the divine spark present within each individual, it is the demonstration of the existence of God in the universe and within each of us.
Each of us can make every day more artistic, that is more divine, asking ourselves: What are the moments in which I am an artist, in which I express my talents and connect them to the energy that surrounds us? It is not necessary, even if it is very beautiful, that we all know how to paint or sing to feel like artists: we can also do it in the way we cook, while we clean the house or while we take care of the vegetable garden. It depends on the attention and inspiration we express. And you, in what activity of your life do you feel like an artist? Share it with us in the comments below.
