Tag-arkiv: charlotte østergaad

Island connect residency at Sardinia

10 days Island Connect Residency at Sardegna Teatro in Paulilatino, Sardinia (Italy) with performance artist Linh Le – and we were so lucky to have Ambre Floris as our wonderful host.

Surrounded by water, isolated from mainland, as birds we travel over the waters, we pause and we rest with the island. We wander and wonder, we wonder and wander with the treasures, the secrets and the knowledge that are embedded in island.

Blessed to be invited. As foreign birds the island (its people, its beings, its stories, its places, its vegetation, its knowledge, its food) penetrates our visiting bodies.

And as our journey moves on, our wings are marked with traces of the island, we float and wonder what is archived in our wandering wings and bodies, what will the island traces (that are archived in our bodies) induce in the future.

The theater in Paulilatino is a unique edifice that with its oddness begs for reorientation and rediscovery. It beckons us to delve into hidden spaces, uncover the concealed narratives residing in its nooks and crannies, and decipher the tales it yearns to share with its visitors, be they performers, audience members, or others. As we venture into the vast expanse of theater space, we transform, becoming less of who we were when we entered and more akin to those subterranean beings of Bornholm. We shun the light, embracing the shadows, and defy the norms that seek to constrain the space.

These narratives extend beyond the conventional, embracing non-patriarchal thought patterns and innovative performance styles. Our brief videos serve as an open invitation to fellow explorers, urging them to continue the quest of unveiling the thrilling secrets nestled within this venue in Paulilatino. There, one can unearth myriad untold stories, fresh perspectives, and diverse performance methods, ultimately inspiring the reinvention of the theater space in countless exciting ways.

A tribute to the two Island Connect journeys: Embarking on a journey to explore the islands of Bornholm and Sardinia, we view the worlds through the perspectives and kind invitations of our hosts. Our adventure uncovers enchanting landscapes that hold the rich tapestry of past stories, healing wisdom, and the intricate relationships between humans and the non-human worlds. These experiences transform us into an interconnected collective, blurring the lines of where our creative inspiration originates – for in this entanglement, the source becomes secondary.

What remains unmistakable is the common thread uniting us – the island themselves. Within this entangled web of relationships, we find expansion. Our hosts serve as guides, generously sharing their knowledge of places, landscapes, and stories, and we, in turn, share the profound experience of exploration. As our collective awareness broadens, our conversations intertwine with the very essence of the lands, the flora, the sounds, the people and other beings, the skies, the play of light and darkness, and so much more that often escapes our immediate notice.

In this intertwined existence, we coexist with the myths and the mystical energies inherent to the islands, their landscapes, and the beings that inhabit them, including the mythological creatures like the fairies and the underground denizens “de underjordiske.”

Residency at BIRCA

Together with performance artist and climate activist Linh Le and dancer Alessandra Grieco I was on a two weeks ISLAND CONNECT residency at BIRCA/Bækkelund – international residency for artists in august 2023.

ISLAND CONNECT is a collaboration between Susanne Danig, BIRCA/Bækkelund International Residency Center for Artists placed on the island of Bornholm in Denmark and Sardegna Teatro (together with the local partner FuoriMargine) placed on Sardinia in Italy. The aim of ISLAND CONNECT is to addresses interconnectivity through the ecology of environment, of social justice, of spirit and intellectual dimensions. By embracing the natural surroundings of Bornholm and Sardinia the residency want to create a vision for an ecological future that allows intersection, communication, generosity and sharing.

Photo: Susanne Danig

Over the two weeks we explored the diverse nature of Bornholm with Susanne Danig as our generous host and guide. Susanne shared some of spectacular sites and the more secret places of Bornholm … the explorations set us off on a journey exploring the Bornholmian light.

During the residency we had days with sun and star and other with fog that blurred the vision. We walked in the night to explore the darkness but was surprised of who much light we (humans) produce. We had an immersive showing with a few local artist as our guests … and much more happened that are still thoughts and ideas in-process.




I made the following videos as a tribute to the amazing nature of Bornholm that generously accepted our presents and to my dear travle companions Linh, Alex and Susanne.

A tribute to shadow landscapes

A tribute to those that live in the shadow landscapes

A tribute to the elements that knows




And on the personal note ….. I had a blast cooking dinner over a bonfire

…. and I found a new passion: trying to capture the shadows.

More to come in the future!