Our Best Request Yet . . .

Calling to the Patria,
as ebb & flow unfold…
splitting words intent
this day
to turn them into gold!

asking soul ~ express
myself…
sensing through and through ~
Be still… dear one, with pure
white light…
the knowing will call you.

Such a forest shapely

and offering a seed…
Is transformation’s mystery~
…beholden to it’s
need.

Environment entangled
surly may subdue~
Choice! …respect
cause and effect; 
…to ponder pathways new!

Heed the way,
regenerate
the labyrinth inside…
loosened dirt, the concrete edge

~in purity abide~

Hope! …don’t mind the mounting hill
~ with Love,
embrace free will…
Asterion!  Experience ~
…True fortune be my
thrill!

- Karmel Koshman

Who will experience Asterion?

Deciding who should be given a chance to experience Asterion has been a difficult but rewarding process. With the individual nature of the journey and only two days of performance, we can accommodate far fewer people than this labyrinth and the amount of work that has been put into it demands.

Reading some of the eloquent requests we have received reinforces that people are still passionate about art that pushes the boundaries of expectation – here are just a few of our favourite thoughts from our future-neophytes:

“I have, for many years, sought to discover new ways in which old texts can be
brought to new life; where are the points of contact, the resonances, between
materials that were crafted centuries ago and the experience of 21st century
living?”

“I’m ready for some inspiration of the magnitude that I know this will lead me
toward.  I’m at a crossroads and know that this experience will aid me in my
transformation.”

“Jerrard and Diana Smith have created some of the most breath-taking design for
performance in Canada.  They have a large vision that has always been about
sustainability – whether for the performances in Banff, the Netherlands, Union
Station or the Haliburton County Forest Reserve for the Patria Cycle.  Some of
these we have attended and the powerful effect of these productions has stayed
with us.  Asterion we have followed on the website since its inception.  This
work is about collaborating with the growing cycles in Ontario and thinking
through mythologies – the installation of this labyrinth has taken time. What is added to the landscape echoes the power of nature – the Wolf and other such figures.  The scale of this work is unprecedented in Canada. Anyone who participates going through Asterion is invited to an immediate human-scaled experience that I imagine allows for a reflection/mediation on monumental time – simultaneously a
solitary and communal experience. ”

Andrew - Cheers to all our ticketholders

Andrew – Cheers to all our ticketholders!

Twisting and turning our way towards completion

We’re placing the finishing touches on various areas of the labyrinth: painting, dressing, weed whacking galore. As we shift from construction and workshop to getting ready for performance, a whole new set of challenges will be presented – but we’re up to the task.

Tatiana - our resident painter

Tatiana – our resident painter

 

Sean - our new crew chief

Sean – our new crew chief and resident plate cleaner

 

Jack - building inspector

Jack – building inspector and ragamuffin

July 14th we will be holding previews for select members of the press. Tickets are still available for our August 10th and 11th shows – but going fast. Can’t get a ticket? Ask about attending our August 9th dress rehearsal.

Email astinfo@patria.org for tickets or other inquiries.