Soma of the Land is an immersive installation that explores psychic ways of knowing and deep, embodied connections to the planet. Using chitosan sculptures, wound-healing fabrics, bio-plastics, soil, and natural fibers, the work invites viewers into a sensory experience that bridges physical and metaphysical realms. Soma of the Land delves into the idea that the body is not a separate, mechanized entity but a vessel capable of tuning into the intelligence of the living world. Drawing on feminist and ecological thought, this work challenges dominant concepts of consciousness rooted in Western, anthropocentric frameworks. Instead, it proposes that through a somatic knowing, the body can access a more-than-human consciousness—a planetary intelligence that encompasses both ecological systems and spiritual dimensions.
The sacred waters of Bulgaria, which serve as the focal point of this exploration, amplify this connection. These holy sites, where water acts as a living archive of memory and emotion, offer pathways for deeper somatic knowledge transported through dreams and the like. By engaging with these places, the work suggests that the body can resonate with the earth’s intelligence, unlocking new ways of knowing that transcend the limits of human-centered thought.
Soma of the Land invites a shift in understanding consciousness as something beyond individual cognition, urging us to see ourselves as participants in the greater intelligence of the planet, where body, land, and spirit are intertwined in a dynamic flow of awareness and being.