This piece centers on birth, death, and the journey of life in between. It draws on traditional Korean cultural rituals and Buddhist teachings, embracing the concept of life's cyclical nature. The setup, with the doljanchi table opposite the jesa table, mirrors the circle of samsara, where birth and death meet in a continuous loop.

Cultural Context

In Korean culture, families celebrate an infant's birth with a "doljanchi" gathering. The "doljabi" ritual, a main event, is a fortune-telling tradition in which symbolic objects are placed before the child to predict aspects of their future. The jesa ritual, in contrast, maintains familial connections across generations and bridges the past with the present.

Performance Structure

By placing the doljanchi and jesa tables opposite each other, the performance symbolizes the beginning and end of life. The piece starts with the doljanchi celebration, and after a performance with dance, sound, and objects, it concludes with the jesa ritual.