This Porous Earth
Shorts: "Under the Ground"
Salt Beyoğlu
July 4, 2026 15.00
![14 Landfill <i>Landfill 16</i> [Çöplük 16] (2011) filminden bir kare
©Jennifer Reeves](/directus/media/thumbnails/14-landfill-jpg-780-5000-false.jpg)
Still from Landfill 16 (2011)
©Jennifer Reeves
©Jennifer Reeves
Walk-in Cinema
Presented as part of This Porous Earth, the selection features experimental films in which natural processes directly intervene in the making of cinematic images.
Rather than depicting nature from a distance, these films invite natural forces to participate in the production of images themselves. Seawater, soil, waste, chemical reactions, contamination, and the passage of time become elements that alter the film strip and transform the image from within. In doing so, the works trace diverse ecological conditions, from relatively undisturbed landscapes to landfills, contaminated environments, and rural terrains shaped by industrial agriculture. Together, they suggest that nature is not merely the subject matter of these films, but an active collaborator shaping their chemistry and textures.
What the Water Said, Nos. 1-3, David Gatten, 1997, 16’
By suspending unexposed film in a crab trap, Gatten allows salt water, sand, shells, and ocean currents to inscribe images directly onto the emulsion.
Underground, Emmanuel Lefrant, 2001, 8’
Burying black film in soil, snow, and mud, the film exposes celluloid to natural processes of decomposition and reveals traces left by time itself.
Parties visible et invisible d’un ensemble sous tension, Emmanuel Lefrant, 2009, 7’
Combining landscapes with film strips eroded in the same location through double exposure and bipacking techniques, the film intertwines visible and invisible forms of memory.
Landfill 16, Jennifer Reeves, 2011, 9’
Burying discarded footage and later hand-painting the decomposed surface, Reeves reflects on waste and the persistence of abandoned technologies.
Stadt in Flammen, Schmelzdahin, 1984, 5’
Subjecting film material to heat and chemical processes, the filmmakers capture images in the midst of their disappearance.
Sound of a Million Insects, Light of a Thousand Stars, Tomonari Nishikawa, 2014, 2’
Burying a film negative beneath fallen leaves near Fukushima, the work records traces left by insects, light, and contaminated soil over the course of a summer night.
Yorkshire Dirt, Edd Carr, 2021, 3’16”
Printed entirely with soil collected from the North Yorkshire moorland, the film reveals forms of ecological violence embedded in contemporary rural landscapes.
The free-admission program is open to everyone. All films will be screened in their original language with Turkish subtitles.
Presented as part of This Porous Earth, the selection features experimental films in which natural processes directly intervene in the making of cinematic images.
Rather than depicting nature from a distance, these films invite natural forces to participate in the production of images themselves. Seawater, soil, waste, chemical reactions, contamination, and the passage of time become elements that alter the film strip and transform the image from within. In doing so, the works trace diverse ecological conditions, from relatively undisturbed landscapes to landfills, contaminated environments, and rural terrains shaped by industrial agriculture. Together, they suggest that nature is not merely the subject matter of these films, but an active collaborator shaping their chemistry and textures.
What the Water Said, Nos. 1-3, David Gatten, 1997, 16’
By suspending unexposed film in a crab trap, Gatten allows salt water, sand, shells, and ocean currents to inscribe images directly onto the emulsion.
Underground, Emmanuel Lefrant, 2001, 8’
Burying black film in soil, snow, and mud, the film exposes celluloid to natural processes of decomposition and reveals traces left by time itself.
Parties visible et invisible d’un ensemble sous tension, Emmanuel Lefrant, 2009, 7’
Combining landscapes with film strips eroded in the same location through double exposure and bipacking techniques, the film intertwines visible and invisible forms of memory.
Landfill 16, Jennifer Reeves, 2011, 9’
Burying discarded footage and later hand-painting the decomposed surface, Reeves reflects on waste and the persistence of abandoned technologies.
Stadt in Flammen, Schmelzdahin, 1984, 5’
Subjecting film material to heat and chemical processes, the filmmakers capture images in the midst of their disappearance.
Sound of a Million Insects, Light of a Thousand Stars, Tomonari Nishikawa, 2014, 2’
Burying a film negative beneath fallen leaves near Fukushima, the work records traces left by insects, light, and contaminated soil over the course of a summer night.
Yorkshire Dirt, Edd Carr, 2021, 3’16”
Printed entirely with soil collected from the North Yorkshire moorland, the film reveals forms of ecological violence embedded in contemporary rural landscapes.
The free-admission program is open to everyone. All films will be screened in their original language with Turkish subtitles.
