Cross-Border Short Films in Canada and Southern Chile: New Ways of Connecting with the Landscape through Introspection

An audiovisual screening program exploring artistic expeditions as speculative imaginaries was inaugurated in Canada. The initiative was presented at Fogo Island Arts Cinema by Kadist (1) and FMA, occasion that  part of our art team — Maya Errázuriz, Director of Art and Publications, and Bernardita Pérez, Art Projects and Partnerships Manager — attended in person.

In light of current ecological crises, the audiovisual pieces propose rethinking the act of exploration as an inner journey of the mind — a necessary shift in how humanity perceives and relates to the natural world. With this introspective turn as a starting point, the screening program brought together works that evoke speculative imaginaries as new forms of contemplation and connection with the landscape.

The five short films presented explore artistic practices anchored in physical and conceptual excursions throughout the Americas. These expeditions take on various forms: a return to an artist’s homeland; a hypnotic journey in search of traces of certain memories; or a reflection beyond borders that evokes ancestral connections to the land.

In this regard, Maya Errázuriz, director of art and publications  at FMA, stated that these audiovisual works are situated in a present in which we inhabit territories that are exploited or suffering from extractivism. Thus, the exploration of landscapes must be subverted “from within, through practices that involve being in the landscape, or embarking on an inner journey.”

She further added that remote places carry a cultural weight associated with being perceived as the end of the world. These associations, she explained, lead us to consider these spaces as constitutive of frontiers or abysses. “For example,” she noted, “an island like Fogo Island receives people seeking isolation at the end of the world, yet for others, it is home.”

About the Works

Each work presented moves toward a boundary—geographical or psychological—beyond which only the “wild” exists: ecosystems shaped by humans or vast landscapes such as the Amazon River or the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia. These destinations offer a vivid context and atmosphere for the program, which will travel from Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, to Punta Arenas, in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, Chile, in 2026.

The title of the program echoes a phrase by American naturalist and writer Edward Abbey: “Wilderness is not a place but a state of mind,” reinterpreted here to highlight the cross-border nature of the practices of these artists. In this vein, Maya Errázuriz praised the work of the filmmakers who presented their pieces, as they complicate landscapes that are not pristine but are composed of multiple layers of habitation and biodiversity.

“It’s important to bring to light that every place is inhabited by its culture,” added FMA’s Director of Art and Publications. At the same time, she emphasized the importance of exchanging perspectives from north to south on these matters. Additionally, she explained, the audiovisual pieces spark dialogues with literature through quotes from authors such as Mary Shelley and Latin American naturalists. In this sense, FMA commissioned a text from Chilean writer Óscar Barrientos, titled An Oceanic Dictionary Sleeps in the Wind.

Thus, a literary imprint runs through the selection of audiovisual works, each of which begins with a brief quote, like an epigraph in a book. In this way, the screenings—which will continue in southern Chile—are an invitation to explore what still remains unexplored.

Artists featured in the screening: Laura Huertas Millán, Enrique Ramírez, Leticia Ramos, Ben Rivers, and Malena Szlam.

Information based on the statement published by Kadist and reflections following participation in the event’s opening.

References:
(1) Kadist is a nonprofit art organization that seeks to promote contemporary art as a means of contributing to a more just and progressive society.