A performance that allows listeners to hear nature
In Tashkent, a live audiovisual performance by filmmaker Carlos Casas was showcased. Casas blends cinema, visual art, sound, and research.
The event took place at ARTepa Gallery under Green University, organized by the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Climate Change.
The performance drew on Fieldworks, a collection of archival materials the artist gathered from various locations worldwide over 25 years. Carlos Casas integrated visual imagery, field recordings, and environmental sounds to create an ongoing, dynamic audiovisual composition.
The project examines how people interact with the environment and how landscapes and ecosystems change over time. Its main themes include desertification, climate change, species loss, and the transformation of natural areas.
The performance’s standout feature is its depiction of the landscape not as a traditional visual image but as a vibrant, living system experienced through sound, imagery, memory, and active participation. Materials gathered from various geographical and ecological locations are combined into a single space, forming a dynamic map of the environment. This approach turns art into a tool for understanding environmental processes and offers a new perspective on the ongoing changes in nature. The audiovisual format enriches the experience, allowing viewers to see, hear, and feel the landscape’s movement and distinct qualities.
The event was organized in cooperation with the DAVRA research collective, the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Climate Change, the Central Asia Art and Culture Programme (CAACP) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the project “Art Station: A Crossroads for Freedom of Expression, Artistic Creativity, Inclusive Dialogue and Community Development”.
Muhayyo Toshqorayeva, UzA
