An art museum in Minneapolis offered an otherworldly weekend activity for families earlier this month.
The Walker Art Center invited parents and children to participate in what the museum described as a totally free “collective and playful demon summoning session,” on August 5.
“Demons have a bad reputation, but maybe we’re just not very good at getting to know them,” an advertisement on the museum’s website read.
After constructing their vessels, guests were invited to watch Ettun perform a summoning ritual for a spirit named Lilit the Empathic Demon.
Lilit or Lilith, is a figure from Jewish folklore, who is often described as Adam’s first wife in the Garden of Eden, before the creation of Eve. She features heavily in Ettun’s artwork through a variety of media, including paintings, performances and videos.
Ettun even created a phone number for Lilit, which receives messages from hundreds of people each month, according to her website. People can text the number and receive in-character messages from Ettun.
After summoning Lilit, the Walker Art Center event concluded “with a somatic movement meditation, designed to help you befriend your shadows.”
The demon-summoning ceremony was part of the museum’s Free First Saturday program. The program, which is held monthly, brings families into the museum for free programming, while also granting them free admission into the museum gallery.
