Where is the border? The question seems always, in all places, to be relevant. The answer is that the the borders are always changing, whether due to nature or by human definition. Glaciers melt; seas rise; volcanos produce new land. Nations fight; politicians gerrymander; and in this specific instance, a prime minister declares that the United Kingdom is no longer part of Europe.
Nature laughs at such assumptions. Birds and beasts have no regard for borders; sea creatures swim across time zones and international boundaries. And once upon a time, only 8200 years ago (a mere second in geological time), an area called Doggerland connected the United Kingdom to Europe. Olivia Louvel (ScuptOr) goes in search of the missing forest, and finds remnants off the Lincolnshire coast, captured in the video below, part of this multi-media work. “We are one land,” declares Louvel in the opener. “We breathe the same DNA.” Her voice is echoed, stuttered, looped and layered, creating a haunting effect.
Some may experience a chill when Louvel concludes the subsequent piece with the words, “I want my land back.” But Louvel is speaking about reclaiming rather than retaking. Her larger concern is one of connection, emphasized by the metaphorical mention of DNA (which coincidentally is 3/4 of LAND backwards). If people could see the connections in their DNA, they might glean geographical connections as well. One wonders what the global landscape might have looked like had humans been around in the time of Pangaea. In “I Extend My Arms Across The North Sea,” Louvel reaches out for other arms that she hopes are reaching back as well.
John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island.” Olivia Louvel suggests that perhaps no island is an island. In “On The Shoreline On That Day,” she redefines the nature of geography, calling arbitrary definitions into question. The six limited edition records that have been cut each bear one letter of the word “REJOIN.” These records represent a unified word until they are purchased and mailed; now “R” is separated from “E,” and so on. Will they ever be one again? Scientists predict that in 200-250 million years, the continents will again connect; even if humans resist the rejoining, the planet may have other plans. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 