The project Learning from Lista researches the creative philosophical approach to ways of connecting with that particular environment. The project emphasizes explorative making and doing in, within or because of the land and its inhabitants, flora and fauna, weather or light, and is paired with a longing for a deep knowing of the issues at hand.
The Machine Obscura was our fourth project in the obscura series at Lista and an important part of Learning from Lista. We wanted to make something where the head would be inside of the obscura, but the body would still be a part of the landscape you’re watching. Another aim was for our new obscura to have a functioning construction, to be portable and easy to move around. With our new tool we continued to explore places at Lista in a different way. Driving around at Lista with our machine flat-packed in the car, setting it up in different environments.
Collaboration with Helene Aasgaard
With our Obscura Machine we wanted the translation to happen outside the box, and by that explore the tension between the inside and the outside. Letting your head into the obscura world leaving your body outside, allowing your hands to express what’s going on inside the box. focused sensation of having your head disconnected from the surroundings tangles with the concentration you need to have in order to draw without looking at the paper. Feeling calm, leaving your body outside in the wind and your head in a quiet protected space.
Teachers: Jan Gunnar Skjeldsøy, Anders Eik Pilskog, Rolf Gerstlauer & Wenkai Xu