HOLDING SHADE – ECOTONE STUDY #3

Rahel Kraft and Sibylle Ciarloni conduct a nomadic investigation of ecotones in uncultivated lands, where diverse species thrive. The two artists observe the fragile balance of the life forms that inhabit these spaces, drawn to how existence in these places is at once precarious and full of tension. Borrowed from ecology, the term ecotone refers to the boundary between different vegetation zones—a fertile site of encounter, but also of conflict.

Kraft and Ciarloni’s research, presented for the first time in Italy, takes the form of a performative walk in collaboration with local artists, professionals, and an unexpected companion: the orange construction tape. Used to delimit work areas and restrict access to certain zones, this plastic object is found along various stretches of the Tiber River banks. Far from preventing access, these barriers invited the artists to climb over them and venture into the wild spaces of the river. But what do these tapes really protect? And from whom? The question resonates with the often complicated relationships between humans—between those already present in a place, those who arrive, and those who leave—much like migratory plants. Cultivation has allowed spontaneous plants—reeds, weeds, wild herbs—to settle and coexist, forming mutually beneficial relationships. Yet these plants are often considered enemies, and their right to exist is frequently denied.

By combining their skills as sound artists, performers, and writers, the two artists invite us to take a walk along the Tiber, intertwining literature, sculpture, performance, and sound. The collaboration with the artist and curator enriches the performance. Together, the artists have created a work in defense of a landscape where human and plant life are intertwined: a landscape animated by herbs that are as rooted as they are nomadic, and by waters that flow through human bodies as well as through valleys and cities, like Rome.