Geologies of the Body
2026 | HSLU | ACT Bern
It is a 15 to 30-minute performance exploring the relationship between the human body and the earth. A large surface of sand or soil is placed on the ground, forming a temporary terrain within the exhibition space. (For protection purposes, the floor can/will be covered in plastic covers used in construction sites and taped to the floor)Through extremely slow movements (walking, dragging, and eventually lying within the material and crawling on and in it, the performer gradually reshapes this surface, creating traces that resemble erosion lines, riverbeds, and shifting landscapes. As the performance progresses, the body becomes both the agent and the site of transformation. The performer allows the soil to cover and mark the body, dissolving the boundary between human presence and geological matter. Accompanied by a subtle ambient eco-soundscape in the background (of live field-recordings), the work unfolds as a quiet process of sedimentation, collapse, and re-emergence. The performance reflects on the body as a political and ecological terrain shaped by time, memory, and external forces. The work proposes the body not as separate from landscape, but as part of its continuous transformation.