Lichens. Discovering the queer ecology

Dialogue byKatya ParenteWith Enrico Corte

Ecology is a very important topic, I would say fundamental, nowadays: the planet is (almost) to collapse and we must rethink our behaviors making them less impacting and destructive.
This was discussed on 6/7/8 September 2024 in Sant'Agata sul Santerno, in the province of Ravenna, as part of the third edition of International Festival of Queer Ecology and DecrExcluded "Licheni", held at the CSA Terrestra and edited by Enrico Corte and Andrea Nurcis, two eclectic Sardinian artists.
What will he have to do ecology with the world world, are you wondering? To answer this and other questions we have reached Enrico. Let's see what we said.

What is "lichens" and why this particular name?

The idea of ​​forming the Licheni collective was born in 2023 on the occasion of the international conference on the decrease in Zagreb. The collective is made up of a group of girls from various parts of Italy and various European experiences, already engaged in the organization of other festivals (such as Alt Shift, Austrian Festival on decrease, or Metamorphosis, Barcelona Festival) in which the decreescent thought with the Queer Ecology coexists. Their intent was to create an event that brought the vision of queer ecology with a political approach to decrease in Italy for the first time, creating a culture and a network of Italian people, also residing abroad, interested in these issues.

Licheni was also chosen as the name of the first edition of the Queer Ecology Festival and the decrease held this year in Italy, and for the accuracy here in our farm in Romagna. This name has been used as a metaphor for fluidity and coexistence: in fact, lichens should not be seen as "individuals" but as different species that come together to create a new organism. For example, a mushroom and a alga can join to become a lichen. In addition, lichens are ecosystems very sensitive to pollution and at the same time highly resilient.

The well -known English sociologist David Andrew Griffiths, who deals with queer theory, intersex, studies on feminism and history of sexuality, claims that lichens "are quers and human individuals are in fact all lichens; We are all Consortia Multispecie Queer, always already involved in countless and unpredictable relationships constitutive to all stairs ".

It must be said that neither I nor the other people with whom I live and work are part of the Licheni collective. This year the members of the collective have turned to us of the CSA Terrestra asking us to host the Festival in our agricultural farm located in the Romagna countryside, as they found with us several points in common on the level of ecological choices and the queer and transfeminist gaze on the world. We have made them seven hectares of the Agricultural Park which also includes several buildings, homes, artist studies, spaces intended for culture and social meetings of all kinds, with several non -human animals in freedom in green areas.

How did this edition take place and what are the themes it has addressed?

Both the Licheni collective and we at the CSA Terrestra were satisfied by the outcome of the Three days of the Festival And from the energy-gods that have been created. A hundred people have arrived, mostly young people from all over Europe and from various areas of study, professional and cultural. They stayed in curtains arranged inside the Terrestra Agricultural Park. There was a dense calendar of initiatives: workshops, workshops, round tables, concerts, theatrical performances, open mics and moments of celebration.

Many themes have been addressed, economics, ecology, antispecism, art ... to end with an interesting debate on the problem of climate change and floods. In fact, Terrestra is located right in the heart of the areas most affected by floods in Romagna, but fortunately it has been spared both by the disaster of May 2023 and by the recent floods of September 2024.

Are you talking to us about the CSA Terrestra project?

Terrestra is a multifaceted project that mainly deals with culture and agriculture. Inside Terrestra there is a CSA, acronym which means "community that supports agriculture". The CSA currently counts about sixty members and shareholders who have signed a mutual pact support outside the laws of the market, along unpublished roads of community support and not belligerent towards the environment and its living.

The agricultural practices applied to Terrestra, in addition to being biological and agroecological, respect the principles of antispecist thought: no substance of animal origin is used and we are part of the European Vegan network/Organic Agriculture. In addition to this, we deal with art and culture: in fact, in Terrestra there are two artist studies; Over the years we have also organized a series of events, especially concerts and book presentations, but we are also about to open an exhibition space specifically dedicated to contemporary art.

What is the connection between this and ecology?

Queer ecology offers the possibility of deconstructing the obsolete idea of ​​nature that is based on nature/culture dualism. Through scientific studies, ecofemminism, climatic and environmental justice, Queer ecology helps us to get out of an anthropocentric and patriarchal vision.

In Queer ecology, all living beings are considered connected and interrelated. "Queerize" nature means recognizing the complexities present in nature, freeing it from a hierarchical and specist interpretation in which all living beings are considered connected and interrelated.

And between art and ecology?

The art of each historical period has often spoken of the most urgent problems of its time, in a clear or veiled way. In particular, the contemporary art of the last decades has focused on burning issues such as the spread of wars, the conditioning of political propaganda, the persistence of ethnic or gender discrimination, emigration, homotransphobia, freedom of information, the climatic crisis, renewable energies, global warming.

As we know, ecological issues are today at the center of large debates all over the world; Art, as always, has made, absorbs these problems within its expressive languages ​​and projects them to the public through creative interpretations. And often provides possible solutions that are anything but imaginative but rather realistic and concrete.

An unpublished approach to Queeness, that of lichens, at least for the most, which expands the perspectives and introduces us to a very articulated global speech, pregnant with sometimes unexpected consequences but with the firm will to respect the uniqueness of all and completely. We thank Enrico Corte for having talked about it and wait for the next edition.