Performed for ROT Magazine by Lia Mizhari Goldfarb & Agnes Ehlich
Berlin, 2021
“Natural,” “naturalmente,” “natürlich,” “naturellement.” Across a myriad of languages, these words draw from the root of “nature” to convey a sense of obviousness or innate character. The questions that guided me throughout this project were: How can this line of thought trap us into seeing something as self-evident? What am I allowed to understand about myself, and where is there space for ambiguity and unclarity?
At the same time, the etymology of “nature” and “natural,” from the Latin naturalis, carries the meaning of “by birth.” This opens another possibility: to challenge the presumed obviousness of the self and, through that uncertainty, attempt to give birth to something new.