How can I interview nature, when I do not even know how to listen to it?
How can I interview nature, when I talk about it as if I am not part of it?
How can I interview nature, if I only learned to ask in words that humans created?
How can I interview nature as one? I also don't interview humanity.
Definition of Nature:
And not only does our activity seem detached from nature, our whole way of acting towards nature interfers with with the idea and the thought that humans could even be part of nature.
'We' are talking about nature as if 'we' are detached from it. As if 'we' do not belong.
Oh, I correct myself: As if nature does not belong.
"How should I know what is best for our natural environment? How should I know what the plants are thinking, what the animals are observing, what our ecosystem is feeling?
How should I know? Unless I see myself as part of this ecosystem, unless I change from an anthropocentric view to a biocentric view I will never be close to realize that nature is also thinking." - excerpt from a text I wrote last year
Check out --> https://www.thepollinators.org/treevember
Personal Definition of the Word 'we': When using the term 'we', I am not trying to generalize and include everyone in this definition, but the overall idea of how some are destroying the planet and live in disconnection to the natural environment
My exploration started with a feeling. A feeling of being stressed, overwhelmed, closed in. Esspecially when being overwhelmed by everything that is going on around me, I like to go somewhere where I am protected by the trees, where I am able to look over the wide water, where the only distraction of just being, is the blowing wind, the falling leaves or an insect crawling over my toes.
In a city like Rotterdam, there is no forrest easily accessible, so I go to the Kralingse Bos. Most of the time by bike or by skates, to be there as fast as possible.
Sometimes....by google maps.
And yes, it totally makes a difference if I go there in real life or virtually. It was worth a try
Although what happens here is different. I can start hearing Nature, I can start listening to it. I can start feeling it. I can decide to go closer, further away, start drifting away
The connection to violence:
When do we show violence towards nature? Cutting down trees, modifying nature, making use of it in every way...
The connection to speech:
Nature is constantly speaking to us. We are not listening, we are just speaking over and about nature constantly, but are we including it in our dialogue?
The connection to intimacy:
This is a personal connection. Being able to know what nature is sharing with you. Being able to listen to it, to talk to nature.
The connection to borders:
There is a border between nature and humanity, and we create this. We built borders so nature does not interfere with us. We put nature away to create borders. There is an invisible border. Tiles so nature cannot grow.
What is interesting to observe through google maps, is the growth of the same tree throughout the years. Something that is possible with the archive of the online space.
Although there is another archive. The memory of the people that used to live in this street as well as the memory of the tree itself and its journey.
Can we listen to the tree, telling us the story of his life?
And I go observing...
My question is formulated around how to find the connection back to the natural environment. How can it be possible to reach this, when all that is done is either based on stealing from nature, or on the concept of trying to protect it from human pollution? The job of nature is being taken over, its evolution is being manipulated. Is there a way to live closer together with nature again?"
- Excerpt from a text I wrote last year
The Trees are shining from within. It was raining and the trees made their own light.
Can going closer bring us to a deeper understanding of nature?
Finding
Observing
Smelling
“Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress
began to do away with them. (...) We abuse land because we regard it as a
commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we
belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect” (Leopold, 1989)
And another ride, this time another setting, another county and away from the forrest back into the city. Whilst the ride I was thinking:
It reminded me of my experience through google maps. Being behind a screen, only this time the screen is the window. I might be there, but something is cutting me off from the touch, from the sound, from being there.
Investigating the colours. The pure colours. Using the medium of the camera to blend out the rest. What do the colours tell me?
The walk through the Park. A moment where we can rest our soul from the buisiness of the city. The moment where unfilterd emotions can have its place.
The wind is the translator
I am just listeining to the interactions from Nature.