This short film was the product of my residency with Kolaj Institute in August and September of 2024. I participated in Kolaj Institute's Collage on Screen Residency where I had the opportunity to learn about how I can incorporate animation into my collage practice. To learn more about Kolaj Institute and this project read more here: https://kolajmagazine.com/content/institute/call-to-artists-collage-on-screen-artist-residency-2024/

Film Statement:

Alexander von Humbolt was a German scientist in the 18th century who introduced the concept of Naturgemӓlde, which roughly translates to “painting of nature.” In practice it is much more than a painting of nature. It is a philosophical idea that defined the way Humboldt looked at the world and studied it. Naturgemӓlde is the belief that all creatures, including us, exist in a web of life, where we are all constantly responding to the reciprocal nature of cause and effect.

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa was a magician in the 16th century who is best known for his Three Books of Occult Philosophy. In these pages he too makes a case for the web of life, using magical symbolism to lay out a structure of the universe and our individual natures which, he writes, are passed down through the stars.

Without magic, the human connection to the natural world becomes weaker. Magic is poetry and poetry is soul, which is exactly what our modern ideas of science lack. It is my hope that this short film will evoke a sense of joy, magic, and above all, a closer connection to the world and everything in it.