Sion Jones - 15th February 2017

I liked Sion from the start of his talk. He started off very unique, asking us to participate in a very short meditation session right there in the lecture room. Asking us to close our eyes and breath naturally, whilst he slowly guided us through it. I was very pleased that a lot of people were positive about it. 

From the start I understood that he is a yoga teacher and is very much interested in the present moment and mindfulness. I am also interested in yoga and meditation and I am currently in search of what works for me, so that I can integrate it within my everyday routine. I believe from all the research I have done on meditation and yoga and the benefits of them, that they do really work when you turn it into a normal part of your everyday life. 

Sion has talked about the inner and outer experiences, inner and outer space that is very interesting. The mind being the inner space that sometimes is overwhelmed and stressed out, triggering waves of negative thoughts to the surface. Overthinking is something I am struggling with, finding it hard to sometimes just be in the present moment. His recent work that he has shown us, is focusing just on that: the over thinking mind and the awareness of the present moment. 

Gwacter : Empty Space

link

Screenshots of the video piece:

This video consists of people sitting in front of the camera in silence, eyes closed, breathing. After a while they hear a bell ring once, this is the time for them to open their eyes and look directly into the camera. There is a certain vulnerability in this video, the eyes stare at you, revealing the conflicting thoughts that are occurring behind them. 

This video work is focussed on the practice of meditation to show how people struggle between tangled and conflicting inner and outer experiences, the inner and the outer space. We are constantly distracted, overloaded with information which is hard to process. We have fear, stress, anxiety, mental suffering due to the fast paced world around us. We are constantly rushing and forgetting to enjoy the present moment we are in. We are distancing ourselves from nature, detaching ourselves. Meditation is an aid to calm your mind and be aware of your body in the present moment. Be aware of your existence in the world and everything that surrounds you. 

Gwahaniad / Separation

link

Screenshots of the video piece:

I felt really intense throughout this video, as it truly depicted how my mind feels when I overthink. Sion used rushing water to represent our flooding thoughts, which stop us functioning properly. Flooding information and thoughts that becomes impossible to control and calm, which take over, leaving you restless. Also in this video you can see the inner and the outer struggles of overthinking. The outer and the inner space. The outer is Sion scratching his head, the inner is the thinking, because it's invisible it is represented by rushing water. The video speeds up throughout, changing from one image to the other, until it is so intense its a constant flicker between the two. The only sound present is the sound of the water, creating a very calm and yet intense atmosphere.

I really like the simplicity of both of the videos, with minimal editing for less distractions. They are simple and so intense at the same time, you cannot help but be captured in the moment. 



Thoughts for myself:
What stood out to me is the use of the inner and the outer space which I might want to explore myself too. I like the idea of an inner space that is unique because we are all different. See how I can use that to come up with an intervention/ performance/ experiment. 


~Ev