CROWS IN DEAD OLIVE GROVES (2023)

In the video 'Crows in dead olive groves' human crows ramble inside a dead olive grove in the Apulia region of Italy that has been devastated by the xylella fastidiosa* bacterium before being burnt by a wildfire fueled by strong wind. Crows often represent death and the transformational process from the physical to the spiritual world. Death does not necessarily mean the physical act of dying; rather change, transition, transformation, and new beginnings. Hence, the alarming calls of the crows in the video function as a voice warning system to alert and awaken humans to our interconnectedness and interdependence with the earthly community of life.

When the night begins to break in, swallowing the last rays of the Sun, a black crow turns white when observed through a night-time wildlife camera. What does this change in perception point to? What would begin to shift if the deep south of the European continent began to live and breathe as a more-than-human collective? Can we stop and prevent the ongoing spread of deaths — of migrants, animals and plants — in this area? How to transform Fortress Europe into a harbour of care and conviviality?

*Xylella is considered to be one of the most dangerous pathogens for plants anywhere in the world as there is no known cure for the infection at present. It has become closely associated with olives after a strain was discovered in trees in Apuglia, Italy in 2013.

Credits:
A work by Jatun Risba and Franco G. Livera
Performance: Jatun Risba
Video footage: Franco G. Livera
Editing: Jatun Risba and Franco G. Livera
Sound engineering: Daniele Semeraro