Can we redefine the role and position of humans in relation to the environment and other species? Can we imagine a world where the human narrative about the world does not dominate but harmonizes with all other non-human perceptions, sensations, and experiences?
The event we propose is about building together alternative communities of the future. "Eco-Sensoriality. Paths for Communities of the Future." envisions a world untouched and consequently unexploited by humans. A planet where plants, minerals, and animal kingdoms, exist, grow, and develop outside the devastating consequences of global warming and pollution. The communities of the future are built based on reconnecting and training the senses, both individually and as a group, with the desire to develop new languages of communication, where the predominant feeling is empathy and openness to experiencing the world through the other, understood as a broad spectrum of species.
Alina Tofan, the Artistic Director of the project and performer, explains the choice of Petroșani as the central point of the project's development, both as an actual working space and as an inspiration in the artistic endeavor of the project:
"Space mining seems to be one of the future trends. Unfortunately, we tend to colonize space and other planets, new forms of life that we eagerly seek. Meanwhile, Valea Jiului remains the territory where after the resources have been exploited, nothing seems to have been left behind, except for countless possibilities of reconnecting with something we still have: Nature."
For Vladislav Calestru (Italy/Norway), a creator involved in the artistic project: "The story of Planeta Petrila can serve as a model for the transition towards a cultural industry in the area. As a transitioning zone, the importance of community, the affirmation of needs, and the desire for change towards a future that brings more light to the people here is felt. Valea Jiului impresses with the stories full of emotion and resilience that the people here have."
The project team consists of: Alina Tofan (project initiator / Artistic Director and artistic research), Vladislav Calestru (concept & creation of immersive eco-sensorial installation), Jørgen J. Jenssen (trainer of eco-community workshops, concept & creation of immersive eco-sensorial installation), Ioana Buraga (graphic designer & new media/sound designer), Alexandru Claudiu Maxim (VR experience creator), Ioana Gabriela Cherciu (concept, research & content creator), Miruna Croitoru (scenographer/visual artist), Vlad Grigore (digital platform graphic designer), Paul Ruben Grec (actor, logistic coordinator), Bogdan Popa (landscape architect / sensory robotics team coordinator).
Plastic Art Performance Collective connects consciousness-body-ecology through the arts. It is a group of young interdisciplinary artists formed in 2020 under the Macaia Cultural Association, which draws attention to collective waste and themes such as environmental crisis, plastic pollution, industrial pollution, climate change, and illegal deforestation - all addressed through various artistic mediums.
Website: www.plasticmemoriesirisipa.ro
International portfolio of activities: https://www.plasticmemoriesirisipa.ro
Association: www.macaia.ro
Creatorium is a non-profit organization based in Steinsholt, Norway, developing international projects focused on active learning methods, community building, internationalism, and global awareness, emphasizing self-development needs and creative expression.
Urban Lab is an initiative aimed at taking action to improve the quality of the natural and built environment in Valea Jiului.
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Cultural project co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). The project does not necessarily represent the position of AFCN. AFCN is not to be held responsible for the content of the project, nor for the ways in which the results of the project might be used. Those are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the grant.
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