the relations between

Artist statement

the relations between

Relations, in the plural sense, refers to multiple connections or associations between two or more things. It can also refer to the way in which multiple things are connected or associated.

This exploration of the relations between, the evolving and ongoing process of how we communicate  with each other and to nature within a digital context, inspired my work for this residency.

During conversations that Mårten Spångberg  and I had , we talked about networks, though not just the expansive digital network of the internet but of nature. In particular, we shared thoughts on  mycelium, a network of fungal threads or hyphae, that lately has received much attention on the importance of it’s function for the environment , including  human beings.

Building off of this concept, ideas of digital and ecological landscapes being connected emerged.  From this we worked both collaboratively and individually to produce material for this residency

I began by recording a soundscape that blended field recordings, instrumentation, and my voice; then added parts of interviews conducted by Mårten.  The work reflects on the complex interconnections and patterns between people, the natural environment, and the digital realm.

Just as the digital “ecosystem” links everything with everything, so does mycelium of the forest floor breaking down dead, organic matter and releasing nutrients so everything is reborn.

Samantha Letourneau

The first video produced for this residency , boughs, I immersed myself into learning how to merge moving and still images together composing a connection of the human body to the forest. The piece started by questioning how is it possible to get people to think about ecology in the world of technologies?

“If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.”- Alan Watts

In this piece, mycelium tresses , I experiment with the blending and layering of human hair and mushroom gills.  An inquiry into the interrelated and parallel relations between us and the natural world. “I see the mycelium as the Earth’s natural Internet, a consciousness with which we might be able to communicate.” Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

The final video created for my residency , embodied threads,  builds on skills I learned through this process,: filming oneself,  video editing , and recording an original  soundscape. The piece uses various video techniques and  incorporates parts of Marten’s interview with artist Clara Amaral (whose work  investigates the performative aspect of writing and language.) Mixing in dialogue and movement through a mycelium network , an embodied conversation is composed.

In the Spring of 2024  I will be offering a series of  in person workshops to the community as part of this residency .  Stay tuned, more information to come.