Forest Oracle, Finland, 2025
Forest Oracle is a multidisciplinary artwork expressing the forest being, an ‘oracle’ that addresses humankind through its active presence and voice. The idea of forests having a voice that may find expression through our creative endeavours is not new and has transpired in human cultures living with their forests for millennia in mythical, symbolic but also practical ways.
In the light of ongoing ecological destruction, loss of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, it is essential to bring this voice to the forefront, into the centre of our communities, decision-making, and boardrooms, and to find ways we can listen deeply once again and live in harmony with our forests.
The Forest Oracle project is created in response to the practice of deep listening and observation of the evolving forest ecosystem in Northern Finland, around Stenan Majat Ky (near Äkäslompolo Village) and imagining how it may transform into an old-growth forest if given a chance. During the initial research, observations of the forest around the location of the retreats were made and as well as visiting old-growth forest in the area. Sounds and video recordings of natural elements were collected, which relate to the indicators of a healthy ecosystem, resilience, richness and complexity of the forest.
For this exhibition in 2025 Evgenia Emets created a video & sound artwork, a narrative visual and poetic storytelling, written in the voice of the forest, and a calligraphic scroll with the poem reflecting poetry in its visual form.
Through this artistic work and the project, creating 1,000 forest sanctuaries through art stewarded by local communities for 1,000 years, Evgenia explores how we can deepen our practice of listening to the plants, ecosystems, forests, and land. Finding new ways and learning from living ancestral traditions – how can we tune in better with the processes taking place, and to become better collaborators, participants, co-creators and guardians of the evolving ecosystems. How we can re-wild our relationship with plants and shift towards a more ethical and holistic way of being with the plant, animal and forest voices.
This project is part of 2-year cohort Gifts from the Sentient Forest exploring forest intelligence and sentience in the North Finland through 4 retreats in the forests with a multidisciplinary group of people , an exhibition and a publication.
READ MORE about the cohort
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