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ARTIST RESIDENCY IN GUNA YALA, PANAMA.
A three week long residency learning about the culture and history of the GunaYala whilst exploring the landscape and livelihoods of the locals. The main outcome of the residency is...
Nuciria a Marionette made of washed up plastic pollution and flora from the coastline. My collaborator Irene Delfanti made a musical instrument to join Nuciria on the adventures around the village.
A collection of Double Exposed Flim Photographer of the surrounding area and some of the culture in the small remote village of 'Admiral', the most southern part of GunaYala bordering with Colombia.
Me and Irene Delfanti are now continuing our work from the residency to the U.K. Traveling to festivals with our story telling installation.
PROCESS AND EXPERIMENTATIONS DURING RESIDENCY
PRINTING WITH FOUND OBJECTS AND NATURAL LOCAL DYES
Inspired by the history of the Guna original using natural dyes to paint their whole bodies with art. I started to explore what local dies they used an what they may have used in the past to make paint. I used found objects to print with, such as fish, dead coral and leafs.
PLAYING AND ENGAGING WITH THE LOCALS, WHILE EXPLORING THE LANDSCAPE.
I saw some boys on the beach breaking apart object on the beach such as a computer.
I started to play with the waste on the beach and make sand castles. A few younge girls came and joined me.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
I realised there was a problem with plastic. It was invading their village from the sea and through their imports with no way of recycling it. Consuming the the village.
I wanted to find a way to make the plastic less distressing and to change its power and affect on the community.
Article I've written on the subject if you want to find out more: Plastic Pollution in Guna Yala: Who is Responsible? – InCalabria
NUIRCIA THE MARRIONETTE
About
Inspired by the children that joined me in playing with the plastic pollution and by the weird lumps of sculptural tangled trash, I went on exploring the idea of making the waste come to life, so then it would have the power to tell its story. Of where it had been and where it was made and now how its end up here in GunaYala. I thought this could be a way for people to understand empathetical the journey of plastic and how it docent just disappear.
So Nuircia was born, its a marionette made from the plastic pollution and foliage that has been washed up or dumped on the village's coastline. I took it out of the studio to walk about the village and take some photos.
I met one young boy who was terrified of the marionette and hide behind a post watching it wairly, with a group of adults from a near by hut ber-wilded by what i was trying to do. The next person that came across it was an adult who fell in love. (Thank God) immediately wanted to play with it and brought me to a group of children in the court yard to show off Nuicia skills.
I was then invited to perform on stage for their independence day. Where the children named the marionette Nuicia.
The marionette broke the languages barrier and acted as a gateway for me to engage with the community and earn some trust. Which lead onto being taught more about their mythologies and culture.
Nuircia also gave the locals a fresh look on the plastic. It turned the pollution into a thing that can be changed. Making the plastic look less overwhelming and less powerful.
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DOUBLE EXPOSED FILM PHOTOGRAPHY
Throughout the residency I took photographs on my 35mm film camera of the landscape, still life and local activities.
I use this technique as it creates a fresh outlook at a subject, rather than just taking a still of what the eye see's.
I do this within the camera it's self, so I cant decide what images goes over what in the darkroom, It just depends on what's there in the moment where I'm stood.
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BACK IN EUROPE
After-math of Residency
Back in Europe we recorded some of the stories we learnet such as 'Deaths Cave' and 'The Drunken Butterfly' as well as making up some new ones based on our experience in Guna.
To accompany these stories we made a sound track from sounds recorded by Irene Delfanti in Guna Yala and made a installation that can be transported to give a sensory experience to the tales.
We have taken this installation to festivals such as 'Pete the Monkey' and 'Musicport'. We are going to be making monthly events with our installation as a back drop at the 'Vaulty Towers' Waterloo, London. On the subject of Climate Crisis, Nature, Mythology, Natural dying, Painting but not limited too.
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GALLERY
