WEAVING A VEGETAL WEB OF CARE – WORKSHOP & PERFORMANCE

Weaving a Vegetal Web of Care is an immersive and community-driven performance promenade, conceived as an integral part of Lemi Ponifasio’s “The Manifestation” for the concluding event of the Red Bridge Project. The internationally renowned artist has invited Elisabeth Schilling to introduce this artistic concept, which weaves together nature, community, and art.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The performance unfolds as a delicate and symbolic thread of connection, adorned with bouquets of dried herbs and local flowers. These vegetal elements are crafted in several workshops held with community members, who collectively contribute to the creation of this connecting web.
This thread, fragile yet resilient, symbolizes our shared care for the plants and each other. As part of the performance, participants will collectively hold up this vegetal web and carry it through a designated route. Together, we walk in silent procession, each step a testament to our unity and collective responsibility. Profoundly listening to each other’s rhythm, as we move, a sense of care envelops us; our steps fall into a similar speed, each person attentive to the gentle tension of the thread. We are bound by a common purpose, understanding that this task can only be achieved as a collective. The thread guides us, reminding us of our interdependence and the beauty of our vulnerable connections. As we reach our destination, the herbs, now tokens of our journey, are distributed at the end will serve as enduring reminders of the event and its deeper meanings. This act, simple yet profound, binds us in a shared rhythm, nurturing our bond with nature and with one another.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This participatory promenade not only highlights the beauty of nature and the power of collective artistic expression but also invites participants to reflect on the interconnectedness of their community. It’s a powerful reminder of how, through cooperation and shared effort, a stronger and more resilient communal fabric can be woven.