Folklore & Critical Research
Curated by Marjolein van der Loo
A Tree, with a Bird, by a Woman, on Land, Under a Star, is a recipe or a spell with exit points that become chapters and grow into their own ecology of stories and actors. Together, they form a composition, a picture, or a tarot card that tells about the future and the past or an insight, warning, or recipe for now.
This research series, with exhibitions, workshops, publications, and events, includes folklore and critical research, an apparent contradiction here as a rich encounter. Science and intuition come together, enter into conversation, and question each other, from hard figures to spirituality. Ecofeminism is an angle with which the themes are approached, a critical philosophy that sees connections between the oppression of ecology and women and strives for their joint emancipation. Social and ecological issues are therefore examined in a complex and holistic manner. In addition, the series takes into account the development of partnerships between art and science as an advisor. Thinkers important for the foundation and shaping of this thinking include Donna Haraway, Anna Tsing, Ursula K. le Guin, and Vandana Shiva.
The series continually addresses themes that explore the connection between people and their environment, relationships, and responsibility through empathy, imagination, humor, and senses. Each topic raises questions where the roots of the theme of recurring issues surrounding culture, policy, identity, and faith are addressed between makers and audiences.
Image: ‘Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando’ by Sergio Rojas Chaves
