Collectief Walden is a group of artists and thinkers who feel the urgency of the ecological crisis. We are a philosopher, a biologist, a dramatist and a scenographer. But the philosopher is also a graphic designer, the biologist is also a radio producer, the dramatist is a political theorist and writer, and the scenographer is a mime. Everyone of us is a performer: sometimes as lecture performers; sometimes as the operators of large-scale changement in the landscape; sometimes as a musician. We are never fictional characters, because we don’t make fiction. We create installations, performances and meeting spaces on the borders of science, documentary and visual arts. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach: images, poetry, lecture performances and music come together in collage-like performances and dynamic installations. The works often take place in landscapes or public space.
Collectief Walden takes its name from Henry David Thoreau’s famous book ‘Walden’. It is a record of the two years, two months, and two days the author spent in seclusion in the forests of Massachusetts, exploring the essence of life. He came to the conclusion that all our primary necessities of life can be traced back to one thing: heat.
We made several international productions. WINDSTILLIFE or SZÉLCSENDÉLET at PLACCC Festival in Budapest (Hungary). THE CONNECTION OF EVERYTHING WITH EVERYTHING at Wintervuur Festival in Antwerp (Belgium). Drei Lieder für die Autobahn (Austria). OIL at Inside Out Dorset/ Activate, Dorset (England), WALD at De Warande, Turnhout (Belgium) and Lieux Public, Marseille (France). Have a look at our international productions here.