Trekking Woman

This filmed performance is an artistic site-specific investigation of contemporary human relations to Nature, in the form of outdoor sports. A female trekking tourist suddenly emerges in the North of Italy. After serious studies of maps and trekking handbooks, she eventually chooses to follow the stream Telo from lake Como upstream through the forests of the Intelvi Valley towards the border to Switzerland, heading for the river´s sources in the Alps.

In ancient times, this river was lined with little factories and water mills. Now these are present in the form of ruins along the shores. Unfortunately, the somewhat confused woman has misunderstood the maps and trekking as a sport. Instead of walking along the marked paths, she crawls and swims in the water, upstream. Her task is sometimes extremely demanding and difficult, and at times more easy. With this piece of work I would like to reflect upon and discuss eco-tourism and extreme sports, an expression for our sometimes rather absurd relationship to the natural landscape.