Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations

In August, on the day of the Grand Sextile, had place a beautiful event, ''Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations'' by Melanie Bonajo,  part of Land Art Live program curated by Martine Van Kampen,  Museum de Paviljoens, Almere, Netherlands. It took place in a Green Cathedral, a land art piece by Marinus Boenzem; it's an artistic planting of Lombardy poplars that mimics the size and shape of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. There had happened a reunion of indigenous people with the land they inhabit, by accompanying music and voice of the forest telling the story, joy and love filled everyone´s soul.

Here are some photographs (by Lot Meijers, slightly touched by me) taken before the event, following is the documentation, a beautiful film by Melanie Bonajo. I had great pleasure, to both make the costumes and take part in the performance / healing ritual.

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from Melanie:

'Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations' touches upon the issue that all people are indigenous from somewhere and belonging, alongside all other life forms, to the Earth. In the video the Voice of Nature explains her outlook at humans.  Looking at us humans from the other side, she explains many mis-understandings and interpretations caused by Western philosophical framework, especially the absurd construction of placing human identity  ‘outside’ nature. Nature as the protagonist, becomes a character with personhood, one who we can identify with. Through music the listener can feed in to the image and identity of Nature.

"Matrix Botanica/Biosphere above Nations" re-shapes contemporary human / plant / animal rituals in a desacralised global society. Trying to remake relations with nature  on the basis of recognising them not as things but as creative, self-directed, originative others. To care for things such as trees, rivers, forests, grasses and mountains as friends is a commitment everybody will grow from. To disband a model of human identity as only minimally and accidentally connected to the earth, a ritual is created in which  “re-earthing” is used for Modern individuals to intuitively gain a stronger eco-centric perspective in a more connected universe. 

So, everybody on this spaceship earth, please fasten your seat belts for a long-overdue homecoming from human dominating attitudes- back to the Earth.