Face Nature masterclass under the guidance of film director, artist, writer and design lecturer Madeline Schwartzman from the U.S.A., aka See Yourself Sensing, and in collaboration Radiona – Zagreb Makerspace community was organized on 8th September – 9th September, 2021 in Radiona workshop in Zagreb.
Face Nature — “a seasonal, experimental practice by artist Madeline Schwartzman — explores local ecology, hybridity, the environmental crisis, and the future of humans. It brings humans in close proximity to locally foraged plants, with installations on the human body that form uncanny hybrids and present a vehicle for mutual subjectivity. The aim is to create a crack in human awareness, to serve as an antidote to passivity and inaction surrounding the future of nature, and to shift the perceived hierarchy between humans and other forms of nature.”
Before the workshop, the applied participants had to take a walk in nature (forest or a city park) and find some interesting organic matter, like roots, dried plants, seed pods, especially ones that have extraordinary forms and/or interesting morphology. The task was also to find the different specimens to give us a range of inspiration. We had start the workshop with these materials.
During the two days’ workshop, we had the liberty to play and create different arrangements with the foraging material, but the aim was to create a mask, crown or anything for our face, and if there was an opportunity to put a small electro engine to make our creation movables, and if possible also some lights for better impression and visitibilty.
Check Madeline Schwartzman’s Instagram profile See Yourself Sensing for pictures and videos of different and creative creations that were made during the workshop.
All in all, it was an interesting and unique experience 🙂