Embracing ancestral wisdom by connecting past roots to our present in Val d’Anniviers

Within the span of a single generation, the mountain valley of Val d’Anniviers (Canton Valais, Southern Switzerland) has transitioned from a largely isolated, traditional farming society to a tourism-oriented economy focused on development. Whilst this transformation has helped bring an end to poverty in the area, the drive to keep attracting large numbers of tourists brings with it an even greater issue: how to sustainably manage nature and the depletion of its resources. By unlocking people’s experiences, reflections and deep connections to the past and to nature, Ludmila Claude asks these crucial questions and explores potential answers, seeking a pathway to help us rethink our relationship with the world. As a continuation of the work she created for the ALTER-residency, for this project the artist will share fragments from the feature film she is producing which explores the connection our ancestors had with the invisible world. "The Invisible Mountain" will delve into ancient beliefs and worldviews which may hold a wisdom that could help us challenge our modern, consumerist mindset—a mindset at the root of the environmental crisis we now face.