CANDAMA:
Shepherds Between Worlds: A Ceremony for Letting Go
Sunday March 2, 14—17
A river of seeds consists of four performance-ceremonies to take place at Galleria Oksasenkatu 11 in 2025. Together, they explore the themes of death and rebirth, beginnings and endings. Understanding ceremonies as gatherings rooted in gratitude, attention, and connection, the cycle offers audiences an intimate yet collective framework to hope, grieve, celebrate, and release. Each session adopts a particular format —circle, workshop, birthday party, funeral— exploring the intersections between ritual and art, performance and ceremony.
A river of seeds is curated by Candama, a semi-fictional agency that offers curatin coaching, and poetic consultancy services. Candama is a project by artist and curator Daniela Pascual Esparza, through which she creates a context for her practice while nurturing collaborations with other artists and professionals.
The first ceremony of the cycle, Shepherds Between Worlds: A Ceremony for Letting Go will take place on Sunday, 2.3, 14-17. Find all the information below!
Shepherds Between Worlds: A Ceremony for Letting Go.
Welcome to Galleria Oksasenkatu 11 to practice hospice work together. We are Andrea, Esther, and Savannah, and we’ve been researching the concept of “system hospice”, by which we understand the sticky and painful work of dismantling Western narratives ofdomination, hierarchy and supremacy. What can we do to step out of extractive and dying systems with dignity?
Together with Daniela, we are co-hosting a workshop-ceremony to share glimpses of our journey with you. Our intention is to start embodying, in community, how we understand our role in hospicing systems as designers, facilitators, and artists. We’re keeping each other company and finding ways to dance with the divine: would you like to join u
We invite you to think of something –a practice, a behaviour, an inherited knowledge– that no longer serves you and you want to let go of. At the gallery, we’ll share tea, build an altar, have time to reflect on our own and compost together what needs to go.
The workshop-ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 2nd, 14—17, at the gallery (Oksasenkatu 11, 00100, Helsinki). The session will be held in English; no previous experience is required, just the desire to join!
Participation is free of charge, and we have a limit of 15 participants. You can find more information and register here: https://forms.gle/EyALYs2JiG6tt2R9A
The gallery space is unfortunately inaccessible for wheelchairs, and there is no elevator. It has two floors connected by steep stairs that we will use during the ceremony. More information on accessibility here: https://oksasenkatu11.fi/about
If you have any further questions, contact Daniela at ccc.candama@gmail.com
About us:
Andrea Gilly Márquez is a Helsinki-based regenerative strategist, speculative designer and futurist, helping clients and audiences reimagine better-hopeful futures. In her work, she uses creative methods, collective imagination and systems understanding to facilitate planet-centric processes. She is also part of Falay Transition Design Collective. Learn more about Andrea at https://www.andreagilly.com
Esther Hayes Grossman is a Berlin-based values-driven connector, facilitator and futurist. She is committed to creating intentional, meaningful and long-horizon experiences which support people and the planet. In her work, she uses human-centered design principles, futures thinking, play and facilitation to craft programs, learning experiences, workshops, retreats, meetings and communities. Learn more about Esther at https://www.estherhayesgrossman.com/
Savannah Vize is a regenerative designer and researcher. She uses design approaches for strong and impactful eco-social change. Touching on artistic, academic and activist modes, she strongly advocates for playful, imaginative and emotionally supportive creative practice in reaching for regenerative futures. Savannah is also part of Falay Transition Design Collective. Learn more about Savannah at https://www.savannahvize.com/
Daniela Pascual Esparza is a Hesinki-based performer, curator, and urbanist. She brings together different fields and contexts to practise hopeful ways of being. Daniela has experience in urban consulting, creating participatory performances, coaching, workingwith children, and curating site-specific works. Learn more about Daniela at https://danielapascual.com/
