A River of Seeds:
The Eye of the Heart
Sunday June 1, 14—17
A River of Seeds consists of four performance-ceremonies to take place at Oksasenkatu 11 Gallery 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 curating, 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.
Our second ceremony, The Eye of the Heart, is happening on Sunday, 1.6, 14-17. Find all the information below!
The Eye of the Heart
Welcome to Oksasenkatu 11 Gallery on June 1st to make talismans together!
Making a talisman as one plants a seed, renewing our commitment to our hearts in the company of others.
A talisman is an object we create for a particular purpose at a specific time. It involves drawing a symbol against a surface, and it's believed that the harder the material, the more powerful and long-lasting the talisman. Connecting with a talisman's symbolism and purpose has helped me make choices when everything feels blurry. It is, above all, a fun thing to do.
During this session, I invite us to make a talisman for trust: trust in ourselves, in each other, in life, and the possibility of a more loving world. This time, I'm keeping the ceremony as simple as it gets: we'll focus on presence and intention, which is the backbone of anything we do. I will provide some materials for making our talismans, and Oksasenkatu 11 will host us with its naked beauty.
I will welcome you into the ceremony, we'll have some journaling time, go for a walk outdoors, craft our talismans at the gallery, and close the session with a dancing toast!
The Eye of the Heart will take place on Sunday, June 1st, 14-17, at the gallery (Oksasenkatu 11, 00100, Helsinki). It will be held in English, and no particular experience is required, just the desire to join.
Participation is free of charge. We have a limit of 12 participants, and it is essential to arrive on time. You can find more information and register here: https://forms.gle/qmS9sKBiMH6Tym4L9
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 ( at ) gmail.com
About your host:
Daniela Pascual Esparza is a Helsinki-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, working with children, and curating site-specific works. Plants, rituals, astrology, and Andean Cosmovision inform her practice. Learn more about Daniela at https://danielapascual.com/
