One Day I Will Make the Onion Cry
A ritual, an archive of tears and a moving installation. One Day I Will Make the Onion Cry is a poetic installation that gives form and space to the grief associated with solastalgia, the loss of what still exists but will one day be lost.
A place where grief for what will disappear is embraced.
Together with visual artist Manu Siebens, Barbara Raes, co-artistic director at NTGent, created a poetic installation around grief already presenting itself although the real goodbye has yet to come.
With Beyond the Spoken, a workshop for unacknowledged loss, Barbara Raes has been creating bespoke rituals for years. With One Day I Will Make the Onion Cry, she integrates her private practice into a theatrical context. The creation is part of YouTurn, a project by theatre company BERLIN. Raes and Siebens give new life to the onion machine from the BERLIN-performance Land's End (2011).
In collaboration with Beyond the Spoken, Victoria Deluxe & NTGent
Onion machine & Archive of Tears
The installation, at once a piece of art and an onion cutting machine - can be admired during two weekends at DARK WEEKends in GUM, where you can also attend a one-on-one ritual, guided by Raes and with live music. Participants donate a tear to a tear archive, on display at the museum in October during opening hours. In this way, GUM becomes a place where grief for what will one day disappear, can be embraced.
(c) Michiel Devijver
The Ritual
In “The Ritual”, Barbara invites you to experience the landscape of One Day I Will Make the Onion Cry in a special way. The ritual is designed for anyone who needs to reflect deeply on solastalgia, the longing for what still exists but will one day be lost. Like all rituals around the world, this ritual consists of three phases: separation, transition and reintegration. Each phase is given a special and personal interpretation.
The ritual ends with live music by Farnoosh Khodadadeh (Wed 22 Oct) and Berlinde Deman (Fri 24 -Sat 25 Oct).
The ritual is a one-on-one experience, so it is designed to be experienced alone. But rest assured: a Victoria Deluxe volunteer will accompany you, so you will never feel alone. Allow enough time for the ritual to fully sink in. The total experience lasts about two hours. As a result, places are limited.
The entire route is wheelchair accessible. When you make your reservation, we will contact you a few days before your visit to discuss how we can best tailor the experience to your needs.
(c) Agnes Maeseneir
Practical Info
The onion machine / installation
You can admire the onion machine for two weekends in the Palmarium of the Botanical Garden.
18-19 October, 25-26 October | 1 p.m.-5 p.m. | free admission to the Palmarium
The ritual
On Wednesday 22, Friday 24 and Saturday 25 October, you can take part in a one-to-one ritual, guided by Barbara Raes and accompanied by live music. Participants donate a tear to the tear archive, which can be viewed during the museum's opening hours.
22 October | 9u30-12u, 11u30-14u, 14u-16u30, 16u-18u30, 18u-20u30
24 October | 17u-19u, 18u30-20u30, 20u-22u
25 October | 17u30-19u30, 19u-21u, 20u30-22u30
The tear archive
18-26 October | continuous | admission with your museum ticket (museum closed on Wednesdays)
