Name: Clarivel Ruiz

Title of project and short description:

“Asé,” Orisha Oya comes to the streets of New York to bless and uplift the residents of New York City with rose water and asé.

How have you chosen to interpret the theme “SENSE?”

What kind of SENSE do we have? That which we call the five senses, that which we call when we are thinking logically, that which we call heightened awareness? I looked into my own spiritual background and understood that these energy sources that I believe in embody all of this and more. It is taking the magical and creating a tangible experience by engaging with the public to have them realize deities, ancestors, orishas, spirits, walk with us daily and can enliven the experiences we have as human beings when we engage with them.

Why do you believe 14th Street is a compelling site for creative response? 

14th Street is a compelling site as it attracts all sorts of people from the mundane to the creative, scholar to the activist, parents and children, and all demographics from all of New York City. It is a cross-pollination port full of people engaging with their lives.

What reactions are you hoping to draw from the public?

That people will accept a clearing and a cleaning of themselves. That for a moment they will take in prayers and blessings to enjoy this moment now.