STEFANIE ZOCHE
During her first residency in Do Picho, Stefanie made the short film CELULOSA INVASIVA. It highlights the environmental impact of cellulose factories, eucalyptus monocultures, and the fires that have been raging in Portugal and Galicia, in 2024 and again in 2025. The film juxtaposes recordings of the Ulla river and indigenous forests with images of burned eucalyptus monocultures and existing cellulose factories and their impact. The narrative relies entirely on the visual impact of the images and refrains from using explanatory words.
To put this in a global context, Stefanie developed the installation PARLIAMENT OF RIVERS, which was on display at the Haus der Kunst in Munich from 29 July to 7 September 2025. Three rivers – the Bavarian Loisach, the Ulla and the Whanganui River in New Zealand – occupied three large walls, facing a mobile video platform, which displayed CELULOSA INVASIVA. The installation addressed the concept of the Rights of Nature. The Whanganui River was the first body of water to be recognised as a legal person. In 2026, a river partnership between the Whanganui and the Loisach will be established, and plans are being discussed to also extend this to the Ulla. To this end, Stefanie will travel around Galicia in spring 2026, presenting CELULOSA INVASIVA on a mobile video platform in public space. In collaboration with Do Picho as well as with local activists and NGOs, she aims to raise awareness of the Rights of Nature and prepare for the river alliance.
During her second visit to Do Picho, Stefanie made the film EL MAR ES MADRE. Conversations with activists from civil movements shed light on the river’s economic, emotional and spiritual significance, and consider the ecological consequences that a mega-cellulose factory by the Portuguese multinational ALTRI would have should it ever be built in Palas de Rei in Central Galicia. The interviews also explore the concept of the Rights of Nature, offering a multifaceted perspective on the importance of the River Ulla and the challenges facing this ecosystem.