STRATA

A Performance-Based Film Project on Deep Time in the Body and the Geologic

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25071/2292-4736/40389

Keywords:

performance, deep time, geologic, filmmaking, therianthropes

Abstract

This article introduces a poem excerpted from the text of STRATA, VestAndPage’s fifth performance-based film project, which deals with the notion of deep time, the formation of layers in human history, memory, and the geological. The lyrics exemplify how VestAndPage resume through poetic words their thought process, the information gathered during their artistic research that led to the making of the film, and the felt emotions and perceived sensations while performing inside the Swabian Jura caves system, the location in which they chose to produce the film. The authors highlight topics that serve as the framework for their co-creative processes, such as transcendental imagination and queer ecology, in discussing their experience of making the film.

Author Biographies

Verena Stenke, VestAndPage, Venice International Performance Art Week

Artist duo VestAndPage consists of Verena Stenke and Andrea Pagnes, transdisciplinary artists and curators of gentle collaborations in the ephemeral and immaterial. They engage with art as a social practice by nurturing temporary artistic communities within artist collectives and acting as the founders and directors of the Venice International Performance Art Week. Through performance-as-research and poetic writing, they explore the intricate nature of creativity and embodied practice, presenting performance art as a crucial methodology in contemporary society. Their work has been showcased internationally in theatres, museums, galleries, and cinemas, encompassing various formats, from month-long performance walks to 24-hour performances. www.vest-and-page.de, www.stratafilm.de

Andrea Pagnes, VestAndPage, Venice International Performance Art Week

Artist duo VestAndPage consists of Verena Stenke and Andrea Pagnes, transdisciplinary artists and curators of gentle collaborations in the ephemeral and immaterial. They engage with art as a social practice by nurturing temporary artistic communities within artist collectives and acting as the founders and directors of the Venice International Performance Art Week. Through performance-as-research and poetic writing, they explore the intricate nature of creativity and embodied practice, presenting performance art as a crucial methodology in contemporary society. Their work has been showcased internationally in theatres, museums, galleries, and cinemas, encompassing various formats, from month-long performance walks to 24-hour performances. www.vest-and-page.de, www.stratafilm.de

References

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Published

2025-02-24

How to Cite

Stenke, V., & Pagnes, A. (2025). STRATA: A Performance-Based Film Project on Deep Time in the Body and the Geologic. UnderCurrents: Journal of Critical Environmental Studies, 22, 45–71. https://doi.org/10.25071/2292-4736/40389

Issue

Vol. 22 (2025): Below

Section

Creative

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Copyright (c) 2025 Verena Stenke, Andrea Pagnes

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