Cet autre paysage

by Elma Riza

Cet autre paysage
Installation, various media & participatory project
France, Tunisia, Germany

work in progress

‘Cet autre paysage’ (This Other Landscape) is an installation composed of various elements.

On one side, a video installation, projected in a loop on a ‘landscape format’ composed of earth and sand on the ground. The video shows three images of the artist standing still in landscapes that form part of her biography. The position of the body reflects the direction of writing in the language of the country in which each scene was filmed (France, Germany, and Tunisia). Positioning the body within the landscape is an act that reflects the imprint that the landscape leaves on the body. This is because it is not only a visual memory, but also a sensory, auditory and olfactory experience. The images appear, disappear and overlap, creating new landscapes. 

The installation also features a sound collection bench consisting of landscape descriptions recorded by volunteers. Each person who contributed describes a landscape that holds a special place in their memory. These landscapes may be from childhood, everyday life, or somewhere extraordinary. All of these landscapes, which make up our collective and individual imagination, are destined to disappear or transform. 

The third element of the installation will soon be created by the artist and will consist of a 2-metre screen print on fabric that will echo these stories. It will be composed of various elements extracted from these descriptions, in the manner of a collective map. 

This project is an homage to landscapes, exploring how our perception of them is influenced by our cultures, histories and relationship with nature.