LIMINAL OLD-GROWTH
2024, multi-media installation created with Alma Bektas and Joanna Zabielska, curated by Improper Walls.
The installation explores the old-growth forest as a both mythical and liminal place between life and death. The artists weaved various narratives taken from Slavic and Baltic mythology, scenes from the infamous Japanese suicide forest, and the recent humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarussian border. The project is dedicated to Ali from Lebanon and Firas from Palestine whose stories of crossing the primeval forest seeking refuge inspired the artwork. Since July 2021, thousands of migrants have been stranded in the ancient forests along the Polish-Belarusian and Lithuanian-Belarusian borders, seeking refuge in Europe. The harsh conditions, lack of food, medical aid, and shelter, along with the unlawful pushbacks by border authorities, have led to severe humanitarian crises, with at least 50 deaths and many more missing, as documented by activists from Grupa Granica.
The project has several layers:
5 VR worlds created by Joanna Zabielska with binaural music compositions by Zosia Hołubowska
Plant sculpture by Alma Bektas
Sound composition by Zosia Hołubowska
Poem by Bita Bell
Custom smell created from locally sourced essential oils designed by Zosia Hołubowska
Sculptural interventions in the cloakroom lockers by Zosia Hołubowska
Video projection by Joanna Zabielska
VR world ‘Searching for home’ by Joanna Zabielska, music by Zosia Hołubowska
