What Will This Circle Bring This Time? (2023)

This work is connected to the ritual of walking in a circle, characteristic of the Buryat of goroo — the circumambulation of a temple or stupa. Walking in circles in the Buryat ritual of *goroo* helps clear the mind and calm the spirit, connecting the mind and body. Goroo should be done in the direction of the sun’s movement. Usually, goroo is performed an odd number of times (one, three, five, seven, and in some cases – based on the number of years lived plus one).

Natalia Papaeva connects this action to the old proverb that the Buryat woman is first heard, then seen. A Buryat woman used to wear four kilograms of gold and silver jewerly so she was heard from afar.

Small objects collected from second-hand shops can also create sounds while walking. Inspired by these references, but at the same time inverting them in this performance, the act of walking is now about accumulation, not letting go: it accumulates sound before falling silent.

Costume and objects designer: Anouk van Wijk

Photographer credits: Asian biennial performance Xuan Quynh Phan