2020
~ Michał Krawczyk & Giulia Lepori

This audio-visual composition is grounded in the Valley of Sagana, in Sicily, Italy, in the permacultural site of Centre for Development of Consciousness – Thar dö Ling. There, two doctoral researches in the environmental humanities grew their roots for the purpose of writing an ecocritical autoethnography on ecological imaginaries, Giulia, and filming the implementation of practices of permaculture in the realm of slow ecocinema, Michał.

The interaction of moving images and words is a collaborative craft that goes beyond the multimodality of its communicative act and effect. The interaction of films and writings is representative of the lived experience during the ethnographic fieldworks: discursive intellectual practices are ultimately entangled in the physicality of material life. Footage grabbed intentionally, while bending downward, standing still, breathing calmly, sweating, in the rain, and because of casual noticing as a walking witness. Phrases written in various sitting spots, while listening to the world with all senses, and as recollections after unintentional happenings.

Being aware of being alive.  

How does a bark feel like?
Which food do honeybees eat?
What is a donkey’s need?
Why is the spider there?
Where does the rain go?

Created for: About Place Journal
Featured in: 2021 Vienna Biennale for Change