Simina Oprescu
electroacoustic composer & sound artist
sonosphist, noetist
Journey For A Form
2022
The labyrinth holds vast symbolic meaning, spanning from Ancient Greek mythology to global semiotics. The term Labrys (a Minoan or pre-Greek word) represents life, with its twists and turns, inevitable traps, and the constant human struggle to escape them until the last moments of existence. In Greek mythology, the legendary craftsman Daedalus designed and built the Labyrinth—an elaborate and confusing structure—for King Minos of Crete to imprison the half-bull, half-man monster known as the Minotaur.
The myth of the Minotaur tells a story of tyranny and greed. King Minos refused to sacrifice a bull to Poseidon, prompting the god to punish him by making his wife fall in love with a bull. This union produced the monstrous Minotaur, whom Minos, out of shame, imprisoned in the Labyrinth. From one perspective, I, too, feel like the Minotaur, viewing the world as a labyrinth. This leads to a metaphor of inner exploration, where the human is seen as being composed of three dimensions: body, soul, and spirit, all walking the dynamic path of spiritual perfection, often conceived as a "road." Another interpretation of the Labyrinth is as a symbol of the supremacy of the Minoan Mother Goddess.
The labyrinthine symbol is typically associated with women or goddesses rather than male gods. Its deeper meaning connects to the feminine life-giving force, with the center of the labyrinth symbolizing the womb of the Goddess. By amplifying movements, an individual can manipulate a glass or metal ball while seeking the path to the center. The piezo microphones connected to a mixer allow for sound modulation, turning the labyrinth into an instrument.