KALLIERGEIA in the greek lanquage means cultivation. The roots of this word derive from two words I consider to be almost sacred; "kallus" and "ergon". Kallus is the Greek philosophy concept of Inspiring Harmony, and etymologically means the beauty, the grace. “Ergon” means work, what a man produces with his work, manual or intellectual, scientific or artistic. “Kalliergeia” is the action which leads to inciting the acquisition of more soul beauty, more body beauty, and the creation of more beauty in all aspects of life on the part of a person observing and enjoying existing harmony and beauty.
The Ecological Self notion is central to the school of Experiential Deep Ecology, which, based on the work of Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, argues that through the process of self-actualisation, one transcends the nations of the individuated "egoic" self and arrives at a position of an ecological self. So long as one is working within the narrower concept of self, Næss argues, environmentally responsible behaviour is a form of altruism, a "doing good for the other", which historically has been a precarious ethical basis, usually involved in exhorting others to "be good". Næss argues that in his Ecosophy, the enlargement of the ego-self to the eco-self results in environmentally responsible behaviour as a form of self-interest.
The most important factor, which made me involved with this project, is the world's illegal logging, burning, and deforestation, which is responsible for the cutting of 3 to 6 billion trees per year, and the destruction of immense areas of forests all around the world.
In Greece the situation is the same worrying because, due to the financial crisis, the price of the oil has increased, and as it is the main heat solution for the households, many people are now unable to afford heating oil, instead turning to wood to heat their homes. Consequently the big demand in wood has led to an unprecedented illegal logging in the country, and at my village the situation seems to be the same disappointing, having as a result, the alter of the residential, and natural landscape of the area.
Trees are the columns which support and hold the biosphere in a stable and balanced condition. In every tree, thousands of creatures find habitat, and communities of them shape unique forests and ecosystems full of life and wonder.
Trees are keystone species which play a central and critical role in maintenance of community structure and ecosystem functioning. If an ecosystem can be returned to a state in which the keystone species flourish, then all the other species, which depend on them, will also flourish. Keystone species play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem and regulating the biodiversity.
Kalliergeia
Cultivating the Ecological Self
As an artist I look for direct experiences in Nature, for contacts which can potentially trigger a deepening to my experience.The biggest part of my practice, takes place outdoors in the natural landscape and the creative process is really intensive and rich. I visit animals, trees, creeks, landscapes, and in order to contact with them, I climb trees, I contact and play with aquatic creatures, expanding my hands –myself- into the landscape. I am a visitor which means that I come from another world, from the isolated world of human beings. My main goal is; Nature to become my world. In a way, I wish to alter my scale and get into the amazing world of the Wild Life. Human scale is really not in balance with the wild life's one, especially the urban human scale looks so indifferent to the other non-human animals’. I am referring to scale as a state of living rather than a state of measurement.
Through video performances, interspecies collaboration, and land art installations I intend to cultivate my ecological identity so as to create ecological portraits. The place I have chosen to realize the deepening of myself is the mountain of Koziakas, the fantasy space of my childhood.
My grief and pain about the current ecocide happening now on Earth is deeply strong. I can’t stand experiencing this heavy emotion, except there is a way I could encounter with it. This is my love about Nature, my real empathy and interest about the nonhuman world, and this deep exchange between Nature and myself, gives me the strength to go on in life. These opposite contrasting worlds of pain and love, fight within me creating intentions and insights of creativity. This internal emotional war, comes to an end with an equilibrium, a balanced feeling of redemption; the creation of art. This arising drama, this tragic internal scenery where the tragic irony contains the natural planetary terrain of the current ecocide, creates solid steps for my long life philosophy so as to forge within me harmonious cohabitation with my natural and social landscape, and strength to encounter for a better future for all living beings on planet Earth.
This internal scenery has transformed into a metaphorical spiritual seed which seeks for potential ground to flourish. This ground is Nature and Humans coexisting together in balance, and “Kalliergeia” is the Cultivation of the Ecological Self.
Panagiotis Brentas 2013