SURRENDERING AS NATURE
2023 I RESEARCH DESIGN WORKS
Exhibition at One of Many Rooms - Invisble Studio - Design Academy Eindhoven
In colaboration with: Julija Česnulaitytė, River Andrews and Stefan Schönauer
Within this exhibition and foregone research Erla Sverrisdóttir, Julija Česnulaitytė, River Andrews and Stefan Schönauer inquire humans’ dialogue with nature, the land and its spirit. All contents shared here have the purpose of stringing together a shared narrative on reframing our connection with Mother Nature, re-stepping into a conversation at eye-level and leaving behind prevailing capitalist, colonial and western ideas of land-(ab)use. This exhibition was conceived at the Design Academy Eindhoven, within the Invisible Studio lead by Mario Minale, in cooperation with the Graanrepubliek located in Groningen.
In strong dialogue with the land of Groningen, the northeasternmost municipality of the Netherlands, a land built by man through centuries of land-reclamation, we were faced with questions like these:
I. What stories and memories can be found within this manmade landscape?
II. How can we let go of the distinction we have made between humans and nature?
III. What can we learn through communicating with this ecosystem in more-than-human ways?
IV. What do we take and what do we give back to the land in this temporary exchange we are mutually sustaining?
The exhibition is centered around a toolbox containing four tools, each representing one of its four chapters. These chapters outline a journey toward surrendering to nature: Observation, Burning, Mimicry, and Regrowth. (For a deeper dive into each step, see the zine at the bottom of this page.)