The bodies of the earth

An experiment at the boundary between art, science and agroecology

italian version here

press release here

Artists, scientists and experts of agroecology come together to offer a shared experience. Encountering our own body and the body of the land of Pianpicollo Selvatico, interweaving agroecological and aesthetic work, in the original meaning of aesthesis - awakening of the senses. We will explore the possibility of perceiving the connection and intimate correspondence between our organism and the earth organism: body as land and land as body.

In this perception, the defenses that separate us from the outside world are lowered and our actions become fluid, present to themselves, resonating with those of other beings.

Part of the annual program Inviting Life, the pilot project “the bodies of the earth” includes two intensive workshops on a seasonal basis, one in the summer and one in the fall, dedicated to the relationship between water and land, with the creation of small oases that can mitigate the effects of extreme weather events. In the summer we will design and implement small basins to slow down and retain water. In the fall, around the basins, we will focus on designing and implementing a small agro-forestry system. Being present - through our gaze, word, gesture, voice - will allows the physiology of Pianpicollo to resonate with our own, in a process of mutual care.

Summer workshop: July 17-20 (Thursday evening to Sunday h16) Curated by Alice Benessia, Silvia Corna, Bruno Dor, Mattia Gorga, Carla Taglietti and Valentina Turrini

Fall workshop: October 16-19 (Thursday evening to Sunday h16) Curated by Alice Benessia, Silvia Corna, Bruno Dor, Mattia Gorga, Elena Pugliese and Chiara Sgaramella

The project is supported by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo.

The cost of each workshop is 250 euros, including the contribution of 6 tutors, room and board. There is a 50 euro down payment for each workshop. If you register for both workshops the cost is 480 euros. The minimum number of participants is 6. The maximum number is 10.

For info and registration pianpicollo(at)gmail.com

The bodies of the earth is created by people who have interwoven their work and practice with the community of beings of Pianpicollo Selvatico, over the years.

Alice Benessia is a visual artist, theoretical physicist, and epistemologist. In 2017, she founded Pianpicollo Selvatico, a research center at the boundary between art, deep ecology and interspecific coexistence, in a remote valley of the Southern Piedmont. Pianpicollo Selvatico is now her home, place of research and daily practice. http://alicebenessia.it/

Silvia Corna is an agroecological planner and environmental educator. She explores the role of traditional ecological knowledge for land and community regeneration. In her practice, she  facilitates people's connection to themselves, the earth and the beings that inhabit it. Instagram @sil.in.the.forest

Bruno Dor is an itinerant farmer between Mediterranean and Latin American countries. His studies and personal research focus on the co-evolution between human beings and territories through agriculture.

Mattia Gorga is an environmental engineer. As a listening water body, he weaves passionately into the hydro-social cycles of territories, exploring place based regenerative practices. He promotes symbiotic relationships that acknowledge the conscious and sensitive role of human beings in the vital processes of water.

Elena Pugliese is an author and artist. She develops relational processes through writing practices, spaces of listening, dialogue and presence that connect often dissociated levels of reality: human/nature, individual/collective, poetic/political. http://www.elenapugliese.it/

Chiara Sgaramella is an artist and lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Universitat de Barcelona (Spain). Co-founder of the ecofeminist collective Cuerpoterritorio, her work explores issues of ecology, food sovereignty and land uses, using collaborative and transdisciplinary methodologies. https://chiarasgaramella.com/

Carla Taglietti is a storyteller, puppeteer and musician. She presents performances and leads shadow theater workshops in Italy and abroad. She is currently working on natural shadow, experimenting and proposing experiences in relation to the sun, places in nature and their shadows. https://www.lestrologhe.it/

Valentina Turrini is an actress, trainer, singer and storyteller passionate about the repertoires of the oral tradition. Certified teacher of the Lichtenberger Method®-Institute for Applied Voice Physiology. https://www.lestrologhe.it/