on the road - Josua Wechsler

I was looking for a wild place.

Last April I left with two backpacks, packed with food for a month, some tools and clothes.

It was a challenge to reach the spot. I had never been there before and did not really know what to expect. The only thing I knew was that I would stay there. Stay there for one month, 28 days that would feel different than the ones before.

My aim was to connect with my surroundings and to observe. Observe the inhabitants of the wild place, the nature, the change of time and my own thoughts.

On my daily walks I avoided leaving traces in the sand of the river banks, so that I could come back the day after and discover the place as if I have never been there before. One month I did not create anything. I just observed, this was something I have never done before.

A cave became my home, the fire my best friend. The river broke the silence and brought fresh drinking water. Rare sunlight was feeding my soul. Dark nights changed everything, turning the eyes towards the inside and the universe at the same time.

I haven’t seen a single person in these 28 days… But I did feel connected with the water, the wind, the fire, the stones, the trees, the earth and the inhabitants of the wild place.

I am happy that they still exist, these wild places. Thank you for letting me be your guest.

Since then I have been working on a group of sculptures and a film about the wild place. The story will be told with wood, stones and bones, collected during the stay in the mountains.

I am very lucky and happy with my residency at Make Eindhoven where the sculptures grow to their final form. Together with the Mondriaanfonds they support this special project. Thank you so much!

film document about my Stand Up Paddle Board journey

Sempacher Woche 18. Februar 2021 / Surseer Woche 25. Februar 2021