During my artist residency in Palas del Rei, I would like to deepen my engagement with the forest ecosystem:
I learned that a large paper mill is to be built in this area of Galicia, which would have a devastating impact on the environment: It would cover an area of 366 hectares, consume as much water as the entire province of Lugo and threaten the biodiversity of the entire region.

I lived in Portugal for some time and saw the ecological destruction caused by paper mills: Intact forests are often cleared to make room for monocultures of eucalyptus plantations. This non-native tree species displaces almost all other plants due to its secretion of essential oils and usually leads to a lowering of the groundwater table as it has very deep roots. This has very serious consequences for the surrounding agricultural areas and can lead to the formation of deserts in the long term.

During my artist residency in Palas, I would like to artistically engage with the existing forests on site, document their rich biodiversity and develop installative works from my observations. I am interested in communicating w i t h the local activists and finding out more background information.

These thoughts form a framework within which I would like to engage with the greatest possible openness about what I find during my research on site.