01 – Constanza Gomez, Rick Wolters
Land and Freedom
In Afghanistan, the relationship between humanity and nature has been disrupted. Afghanistan suffers from its everlasting wars,, with the Taliban wargroups having one of their strongest moments right now.
Almost all ecological problems can be traced back to war. All the money is spent on warcraft and cannot be invested on building up the country. Extreme poverty conditions are forcing people to join the war. The destroyer has the power.
Large-scale deforestation takes place so that opponents can’t hide in the woods. People have ran out of their own resources to thrive.
Suddenly, an idea of planet paradise appears. A creator with a dream of giving back the land to people.
The creator will help local people to reclaim their own land and natural resources.
Dams are built along the rivers on the heaviest warzones, where irrigation canals make farming and a new life possible. They no longer need to join the war to subsist.
Power has been given back to the people. Their land and their freedom.
02 – Mingus ten Cate, Timo Banning, Menno van der Heijden
De-urbanization through a totalitarian government
Storyboard
‘Through TikTok and new media the Argentina government is spreading a new type of propaganda.’
‘This contemporary propaganda, repeated and spread by influencers and others romanticize a way of living with nature.’
‘Because of this romanticization, new generations that are brought up in dense urban cities, look at the rural area’s for happiness and opportunities.’
‘This de-urbanization offers a sustainable alternative to the polluting urban systems of city living.’
‘The old world influencers advertises consumption and pollution.’
‘The new world influencer advertises rural and ecological living.’
‘While the romanticization of living with nature looks utopian at first sight, devastating consequences emerge.’
‘Natural selection has made a return, as the contemporary human is not made or equipped to the hard reality of urban living.’
‘These teens are dancing TikTok moves to take their mind off the hard realities of rural life.’
03 – Frank De Boer, Jeffrey Van Der Sluijs
Frank en Jeffrey hebben de Azores toegewezen, een groep eilanden midden in de Atlantische oceaan ter hoogte van Portugal. De eilanden zitten op een kruispunt van 2 verschillende breuklijnen, die de continenten langzaam uit elkaar trekken. Hierdoor is de zeebodem vrij actief, en vormt het door zijn vulkanische activiteit de basis voor vele voedselketens en is daardoor een hotspot voor ecologie.
Wanneer de mensheid het leven op de aarde heeft verwoest. Is er een grote kans dat op deze plek nieuw leven zal vormen, en de aarde zal herbevolken. Wellicht zal dit nieuwe leven ruïnes terugvinden van de mensheid en daarmee zijn eigen mythes vormen over wezens, die door hun eigen hubris als Atlantis ten onder zijn gegaan. Wellicht zullen onze nakomelingen een nederiger band op bouwen met de aarde.
04 – Dennis Habraken, Tessa Laarman, Teun Veelers
05 – Renan Dijkinga, Nathalie Koren, Marie-Stella Livrieri
Balance
In 2300, balance is back between humans and nature. We learned from our mistakes and instead of continuing to spread over nature, humans decided to give it more space, to let it follow its cycle and be sustainable again, like the ancestors did.
A new lifestyle is born. Human’s goal is to be part of nature, and help it be. Each human being is given a suitcase full of seeds that he/she will plant all along his/ her life. Each seed planted leaves space in the suitcase to keep objects. The balance is maintained in the body, in the suitcase and on Earth.
06 – Bas Tiben, Laura Nijmeijer, Emmy Jansen
South-east Asia
An area rich of culture, religion, faith and nature. If we think about countries like Thailand or Bali, we see nice beaches, palmtrees and a big blue ocean. A planet paradise. But what you don’t see, is this disaster moving faster to the surface which will eventually destroy all this beauty. PLASTIC.
A lot of plastic has been made over the years, we talk about billions of tons, but not everything is or can be recycled. So what are we going to do with the leftovers?
Our solution is: PLASTIC PARADISE. We will find a way to embrace living with plastic and turn it into something useful and ecological friendly. For instance; Often houses will be destroyed in this area by earthquakes, floods or tsunami’s, but they can use the plastic to rebuild their house easy and quickly.
All the leftover plastic will be collected and transformed into building materials, to reach this goal. If you can beat them, join them.
07 – Kornelija Chaleckyte, Zhiyu Li, Oswin Noordergraaf
Huminal paradise
Earth has always been a paradise – it is an ever-changing system that shifts and evolves in time and space, allowing different scenarios to exist.
Throughout the time the climate has been fluctuating in temperature, and quite dramatically too. In the hell hot conditions as well as ice ages the Earth has lived, along the way letting some species thrive and some die and some evolve further.
In the recent millenniums the conditions have changed; the thermal amplitude has decreased. These conditions have allowed humans as well as other flora and fauna species thrive.
With the recent concerns of rising temperatures, humans are taking the action to slow down the rising amplitude of temperature to preserve the existing “paradise” conditions for current life on Earth. However, perhaps trying to preserve certain conditions in an ever-changing system is not a solution… It makes our stand as species as conveniently living “on” Earth, rather than living “with” Earth.
Therefore, we present Huminal paradise – concept that embraces the change of the temperatures. Rather than improving the Earth, we think that humans as well as other species should adapt themselves to the changing temperatures. The strong features of humans, animals and flora should join hands to survive the new climate conditions to survive in ever-changing paradise called Earth.
08 – Thais Gazzillo Zuchetti, Helena de Raeymaeker, Romy van den Berg
Did you know that this is a very special letter? It’s a letter from your grandmother, she wrote it to me when I had you. The world wasn’t always like this you know. In this letter she writes me about our story!
(a mother reads a letter to her child)
Dear Alvita,
You grew up learning about our land, culture and stories; So you might as well know that with the celebration of the new life, the celebration of your newborn child, the cycle once again renews itself.
Our stories tell that since the year 2222 when the great catastrophes from the triangle clashed upon us we were forced to leave our land and our costumes. At the beginning was not easy: resources were scarce, the little fauna left in our islands almost disappeared for real and the land was unrecognizable. With the raise of the sea level the concept of borders and nations was reconsidered or disappeared and migration was not seen anymore as an issue but as a necessity.
It always breaks a mother’s heart to see my own story departing but now it has come the time for you to write your own story together with your child.
May the migration lines of the birds and turtles guide you;
May your soul be always connected with where you once grew up as well as your new home.
May you share with others your stories and learn as much as theirs.
May the renewal of the cycle brings a new life to you;
ak anpil lanmou, manmanw
09 – Iris Zoon, Coco Vink, Anastasiya Verger
10 – Paula Bloma, Scribio Boris, Yangwook Kang, Mailys Delpech
11 – Minjeong Kim, Christian van Elven, Tom van Boekel
Kann meine Augen nicht von dir lassen
You’re just too good to be true
Can’t imagine another paradise like you
You are like heaven to us,
I want to clean you so much.
As long as we’re good inside
And I thank god for endless life
You’re just too good to be true
Can’t imagine another paradise like you
Pardon the way that we pollute
There’s nothing else to exploit
The sight of drought leaves me weak
There is no oil left to leak
But if we go back in time
All things for sure will be fine
We’re not better than you,
You’re just too good to be true
I love you, baby, and if it’s quite alright
I need you, baby, to warm the lonely night
I love you, baby, trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby, don’t bring me down, I pray
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby, let me love you
12 – Pola Totinchy, Luís Miguel Garcia, Marija Satibaldijeva
The Square Roots solution
#what
We want a revolution!
We are tired of what the politicians are doing to our country. We are tired of the natural disasters that are happening because of poor political management. We are tired of corruption and an uncontrollable system. We want to become what we truly were before all the invasions from Europeans and Americans.
We want to go back to our past, learn from our indigenous people and return to the way we lived!
To achieve something big, we need to take small steps. We want to achieve a self-sufficient world where everyone is in contact with nature. To start, we should learn the wisdom from Indigenous people which live harmoniously with nature!
Only by living in a small group, in a self sufficient community we will be in control again of our own country!
#why
The climate crisis demands urgent action, yet we live in a politically polarized and paralyzed world. As governments and other actors struggle over climate change, our environment is irreversibly changing. Three-quarters of the Earth’s land-based environment has been significantly altered by human actions.
Colombia is a big and beautiful country, but things do not look pretty when we talk about the climate situation. The problem is that for Colombians, Climate Change is not a top priority. Authorities of the country hold the biggest export of oil, which is a major factor in causing natural destruction and disasters… Disasters lead to social inequalities because people lose homes, jobs.. It’s an endless cycle where authorities are the main reason that climate and society are affected negatively. The dream vision is to break this cycle and create a self-sufficient world
13 – Ilias Kerkeni, Gabriëlla Pekelharing, Julius Oud
The United People
Fixated on a world where cultures collide and brew together in a melting pot of diversity, the United People, unify to heal the scaring inflicted through colonialization. The previous United Kingdom, an island whose culture is symbolic of ‘taking without giving back’ is disregarded within this new society. A mindset based on capitalism and mass-consumption, where the individual interest is put above the greater good and where the natural environment degenerates, is disdained. The United People stand together and celebrate the various cultures of the previously colonised nations. In addition, they glorify the natural landscape with all the flora and fauna it has to offer.
The United people has exchanged pieces of their land with previously colonised countries, who in return have provided pieces of their land. This symbolic trade highlights the movement away from the ‘taking without giving back’ mindset, and rather celebrates convergence of the indigenous cultures and traditions, affected by colonialization.
14 – Che-YiShih, JosjeStaal, TimotheePignoux
GREENLAND
TUPILAK : THE PROTECTOR OF GREENLAND
3 million years ago I was the heart of the Earth, every continent was connected to me. In all that time, a lot changed. We got separated, I stayed alone. I started looking at myself and found quietness and beauty within myself, though I was quite lonely. I started gathering, collecting things and memories to not be lonely anymore, and to remember when everything was so beautiful. Now I have the greatest collection of the world that well preserved in the ancient ice.
About 200.000 year ago you came into my life. Something radically changed! You were nice and cute at first, but all along changing everything at your pace. During those thousands of years, you develop yourself but lost yourself and the Earth in the process. Always with the argument of surviving, you take everything you want. You are destroying me and all my hidden treasures.
You make me cry!
15 – Harshal Telrandhe, Tara Tayyebi Fard, Martijn van Wijk
Dancers living in the ground
Between the Troposhpere and the Astenosphere
In the crust of Earth
The tectonic plates
A crucial ingredient for life
They have the power to move entire continents
Regulate Earth’s temperature
They touch and trigger earth quakes
Collide and make mountains
Embrace and make volcanoes
Release and create oceans
They are in constant movement
Balancing
Finding comfort in chaos
Their movements are imperceptibly slow
But with unimaginable strength
Intensity
Dedication
Endurance
They never stop dancing
A lifetime performance beyond our understanding
Terracotta column-krater, Ancient Greece, 430 B.C.
Henri Matisse, Dance, 1910
The Taking of Christ, Carravaggio, 1602
A game of rugby
16 – Thorsten Schlossmann, Lujia Zhu, Wouter Weelink
From shitty state to City state
Dear Balaton Lake,
Your water is bright, your banks are a source of life.
Look at how you influenced the microclimate all this time
But you are fragile
Your profile is shallow
The shores where humans once worked with you in harmony
have been altered from the birth-giving reed collars into concrete
Humans enjoy you as a holiday resort, polluting your water
Don’t they realize that your water is the history – present – future of the region?
In these dark times, hope is at the horizon
Humanity will have to change for the better
In this Utopia, borders will be redesigned.
Changing from short time thinking in cathedral thinking
In a network of new micro-states, every community will have their own speciality.
A Phalanstère right at your shores, once again re-appreciating Balaton for the origin of life that it is.
A new balance will occur, rebounding people with their environment and local ecosystem. Along the Danube river, a lively trade takes shape. Highly efficient, protecting natures limited resources.
The economical dependence and limited resources at hand will secure the balance in the ecosystem, and therefore the future of mankind.
17 – Zhengda Ye, Yaroslava Nesterenko, Rex van Beijsterveldt
META-SAMSARA WHEEL
A modern look at Buddhist Theory of Emotional Attachment Sassāra is the beginningless cycle of repeated birth, mundane exis-tence and dying again. It is this world, filled as it is with so much pain and sorrow.
The ascending-and-descending cycle represents the destinies of those trapped in the cycle of samsara.
In the very center are the three poisons that set the cycle in mo-tion. This can be seen as the axil that turns the wheel. The three poisons are ignorance (originally depicted as a pig), addiction (de-picted as a bird), and aversion (depicted as a snake).
The greatest portion of the Wheel is devoted to representations of the six realms — the realm of the gods, the realm of the titans, the realm of humans, the realm of animals, the realm of the hungry ghosts, and the realm of demons.
The wheel of life can be perceived as a kind of game. In your rein-carnations you move through sectors of the circle and earn points. But your main goal is to break free from the wheel of Samsara, gain Nirvana condition. As Buddha said, you can do it if you get rid of the axil that turns the wheel.
We decided to fill the sectors of the wheel of samsara with new plots, relevant to our times and fresh. We, as a society, must get rid of overconsciousness (or overconsumption?), destructive addic-tions and be not indifferent. and perhaps then we will get rid of the sinking in the cycle of suffering and torment.
18 – Rabia Turhan, Rachel Borovska, Floor Hartveld
The new centre of the world is growing
The new centre of the world is growing
This is the place to start over again
Tension is spreading positive energy from here
Nature here is untouched
This is the place where fire and ice coexist and create together
Where more species can exist, because people here accept that nature is leading
And people follow its lead
So let’s take the knowledge we have now to unlearn
19 – Max Daalhuizen, Marleen van Egmond, Julian Hoyos Marin
KARIMUNJAWA
The flow of La Nino will take you on a journey starting from the past where our mind is triggered by the smell of burning juniper branches. The smoke is sent towards Gia, to show reverence to all life. That is what this paradise is about. To spread these stories and lessons to others so that they can also life in the paradise. Because wherever you are your paradise is always around the corner.
20 – Mads Leuverink, Wout Velthof
The 9 landslides
Italy
There are many abandoned villages in Italy. A well-known example is Craco, located in southern Italy. This is caused by geological processes (landslides) and social conditions (aging population).
However, there are countless opportunities to give these villages new life and thus a promising future. In order to achieve this, 9 rules have been devised, related to people and the landscape. These lines are called ‘landslides’ because these are positive shifts and have a poetical contrast with the geological problems of history.
In this way this ideology can be spread all over the world: landslides for a hopeful future!
21 – Eline Holtes, Ibrahim Ahmed, Atta Farida
The Tears of the tone
Once upon a time 3 students of architecture school, who lived in the Netherlands dreamed about a paradise. They dreamed about a peaceful life on earth with no boundaries and an appreciated Gaia, where OUR earth is the main concept of living. This inspired the people of Gunma in Japan to start living together with nature instead of against it.
River Tone:
Today the boundaries that kept me, the river Tone that runs through Gunma, from moving freely are gone.
Today, me, the river Tone, is loved by the people of Gunma
22 – Jana van Hummel, Khaled Azizi, Roelof Koudenburg
Kapcherop – a well-balanced healthy home
The Kapcherop region in Kenya naturally knows immensely rich landscapes.
Impressive alluvial plains, rugged hills, vast savanna’s and lush jungle forest.
However, Kapcherop suffers from certain problems made by mankind.
Very often, we fight. We fight each other, because of our differences.
Different possessions, interests, beliefs, appearances.
We also fight mother earth.
We redirect her water streams. We scar her skin and body to extract her minerals and gasses.
We manipulate her soils to profit from it as much as we can, as fast as we can.
The ‘homo economicus’ in us thinks we should outsmart nature.
And now that nature won’t let us exploit her any longer, we fight the consequences.
We fight the heat, the draught, the floods, the quakes.
Kapcherop is relatively underdeveloped and has a distorted relationship with nature
and is heavily dependent on technology from abroad.
Countries from all over the world take its valuable resources, taxing the ecosystem heavily.
Deforestation. Hydro dams causing water level problems.
Religious tensions and ethnic rivalries between the numerous ethnic groups are harsh realities here.
These realities demand of us to ask ourselves the question:
how can we remedy these issues by means of strengthening our relationship with nature?
We MUST become smarter to ensure our future here.
Taking away division and introducing friendship between Kapcherop’s people and neighbours.
With nature being our literal common ground.
On Planet Paradise, Kapcherop will know perfect balance
between the naturally present resources and introduced technology.
Its positioning near the equator makes for perfect conditions to harvest solar and wind power.
It will be technologically independent from other countries.
Producing its own technologies to harvest power from nature.
Providing in the needs of its own people as well as helping other countries.
This radically changes Kacherop’s relationships.
A new large scale collaboration between people, with other countries and with nature.
Shifting from extruding and exhausting to exchanging and healing.
On Planet Paradise, Kapcherop reconnects with nature by restarting and restoring natural processes.
Forestation, restoration of water structures and expansion of ecological habitats.
It will diminish the scarcity of land and allow different ethnic groups to work together.
Forming friendships improving the land under a new common goal: a well-balanced healthy home.
23 – Ties Booisma, Laura Kragten, Boris vd Mohlen
Together we rise above ourselves
Th.
I woke up alone in my room, head to the north, As the Malagasy tradition dictates. This is the country I love. The sunrise sparkled through my vanilla plantation, but the ongoing drought made it look sad. I saw my workers working on the plantation,. They were visibly weighed down by hunger and heat, their minds looked tired. Even my friend, Patrick, who normally undergoes his work seemingly effortlessly, looked defeated.
Fri.
When I got up the next day in my dark house and looked out the window, all I saw was Patrick. The days are tough. Because of the drought I see my plantation declining. Despite this, Patrick always manages to maintain his energy. While the other workers begin to take more and more breaks, Patrick starts to work even harder. I wonder how he keeps it up. As if he can read my mind, he replies: ‘In the time before the plantations we lived from nature. I don’t live for wealth or power, my hunger is satisfied by the love for my friends and family that I support with the work I do. My wealth is in the certainty that there is always someone there for me on this island.” This day he taught me Tody (karma).
Sat.
I couldn’t sleep all night, I knew something had to change. Leaves were falling off the vanilla trees as the soil turned dryer and dryer. Patrick’s words grew stronger and stronger. I thought about the future and how I could influence my own path and future. The Malagasy call this vindana (destiny).
Sun.
The next day I gave my workers big news. I told them that they could stop working and divided the land among them and myself in equal parts. The part that remained was big enough to grow food for myself and my family, and even give something back to the forest.
Mon.
When I got up the morning I saw that a miracle had happened. Not only was my part of the vanilla plantation turning into a nutrient-rich forest, but so was that of many of the other workers, who had followed my example. Through this new forest we saw birds flying that we thought to be extinct for a long time. I had taught them Fiharanana (solidarity).
Tu.
While traveling around the island I started to tell my story like an apostle. In the mindset of the island something changed. Spiritual wealth and friendship became our new success. The droughts and baldness were disappearing and instead a paradise was forming.
Wed.
After the success of Madagascar, the whole world joined in. Everyone in their own way, with their own cultures. But seen from space, the Earth turned into a vast green sphere again.
Th.
Now I stand before you, telling you about how this revolution came about. This is the Hasina (sacred life). That you may never forget that, because once the people on our planet were not happy and always dissatisfied. And there will come a time when all our friends and family who have seen that time have faded, and people will make the same mistake again. Then remind them of the Madagasse values, because together we rise above ourselves.
24 – Marthe Haringsma, Carol Nobbe, Maye Pruijn
Het ritueel tot een nieuw begin
Eeuwen lang hebben we gevochten tegen onze angst. Angst om niet uit te hongeren, angst om niet uit te drogen, angst om niet uit te sterven, angst om in vrijheid te blijven leven. Door de bevolkingsgroei hangen we af van grote industrieën. Het vaste ritme maakt ons blind. Wij Europeanen zijn een superieur ras?.
De wereld draait door. De connectie met de natuur zijn we kwijt en zo ook onze angst.
In het hart van Mali stoomt de Niger rivier. Veel verschillende dorpjes zijn geplaatst langs deze vruchtbare bron. Een van de volkeren is de Dogon. Bij een goede oogst, aanbidden ze de goden doormiddel van een groot feest. De Dogon kennen drie goden, Ama de hemelgod, Lewe de aarde god en de belangrijkste god, Nommo de watergod. Om de bescherming te krijgen van de goden ga je goed om met de goede geesten. Deze geesten zijn onder andere te vinden in bomen, dieren en gebruiksvoorwerpen. Ga je er niet goed mee om, dan verlies je de bescherming van de goden en zullen ze je straffen.
De goden waken als een beschermende laag over de aarde heen. De plekken met meer verbindende draden zijn plekken waar er goed om word gegaan met de geesten. Plekken met minder verbinding zijn plekken waar de geesten nog niet tevreden zijn.
25 – Rytis Budavičius, Dion Bruijn, Saskia Kleij
Marocco – Al Massira
Lifting mountainous weight off nature’s shoulders
Al Massira – essential source of water for the Moroccan people and nature around it. People excessively used the water and planned expansions that would have increased the water consumption from the lake. A day came when the lake nearly dried out and people were in shortage of water. In fact, the lake became so small, that communities at standing at all sides of the lake could see each other close and clear. People gathered even closer and decided to walk up the stream to the source to figure out the problem. They followed the narrow river up to Atlas Mountains, sweating a lot in the desert heat, barely having anything to drink. Not only the journey was exhausting, it forced people to take the route in a manner that the water took every second to appear at the lake they overused. Up on the mountain at a great surprise they saw that the river source was made of Atlas’ tears. To keep the balance for him between the nature and Moroccan earth was too great. People understood that they cannot ask him to suffer more and get more of his precious tears, so decided to travel the way back. On the way back, following the stream of Atlas tears, they realised how precious those tears became, the journey they need to take. Once back at the lake, they have spread the word of at what cost they were getting the water. The lake with the water seemed alive again, that needed respect. After hearing of Atlas carrying the load up on the hill, communities agreed to consume less of the water and keep the balance between their lives and nature themselves, lifting the pressure they have once put on the lake.
27 – Hannah Liem, Sung-Ching Lo, Enzo Dal Mas
Sharing Rituals
Lifting mountainous weight off nature’s shoulders
There once was a time when we knew our place. Where tribes were deeply connected to the land, to their origin and lived nomadically. They travelled across Siberia in a circular way, traveling from north to south and up north again, following the Yenisei river and the Ob river.
The course of their journey depending on the seasons and where they could best find food and comfort throughout the year.
This land was rich and wild, with many dangers and extreme beauty, few of us can fathom.
This changed rapidly due to a richness under the soil. Precious metals and coal were found.
Soon industrial cities and workcamps started to emerge. Alien to this land, prisoners were shipped to these settlements and were made to mine the rich land, sucking it dry. It’s beauty under pressure and new dangers like acid rains and forest fires part of everyday life.
So many decennia later, we arrive in the present. Cities are still there.
Our tribes are small, but still travel the same circular routes throughout the year, and steer clear of the settlements.
The mine prisoners have become civilians and work and live there on their own accord. They are however still disconnected from their impact on the land and seem oblivious to another way of life. A short, ant-like life, where hard work is the norm and few pleasures are indulged.
We wonder, have they ever really broken out of their prison?
We wonder: What will happen if our cities inhabitant start seeing their surroundings differently? What will happen if the indigenous nomadic tribes travel a different route? What will happen, if our tribes and our prisoner settlers meet?
In our planet paradise our nomadic tribes travel from city to city, bringing a new energy to the settler’s life. At each city there is a new ritual celebrated, the first day of summer, the leave to the North for the migration and so on. Parades run through the main streets, bringing music, old tales and traditional dance.
Sharing traditional food and appealing to the next generation’s curious minds.
This will become a celebration. Life’s stories will be shared over vodka and festivities will run deep into the night. They will start to learn from each others.
More and more settlers will know about the nomad’s traditions and ways of life. About their relationship with the earth and about the beauty found in their stories.
… and in times will form a new shared ritual between two different worlds.
28 – Richard Doensen, Wouter Sibum, Giulio Angeli
Reshape Europe
In order to save Europe from the water that is coming without any doubt we will have to start re-cultivate and re-inhabit our land and water. Start cooperating with each other in a very different way. Not anymore as countries. But as regions and cities, as people with people. In example, a Dutch region has to start working together with regions in what is currently Italy, Spain, Norway, Poland and Lithuania. To accomplish this we propose to reshuffle the whole continent and be able to reshuffle that again and again based on what is the most efficient or future proof way to sustain as much life on earth as possible.
Cultural instances makes Europe rich and diverse but the national borders are just a bureaucratic burden without clear advantages.
Europe has been divided in many equal parts, which means that each part is equally important and responsible for the survival of life on earth. Each part has a central city or settlement from where each part of the region is easily accessible and what will be the beating heart of each region. By doing so we keep the different cultures, languages and faces of Europe but create this new environment in which we learn how to really work together, share knowledge, technologies and resources. All with a focus on the survival of life on earth instead of profit.
29 – Phuong Dào, Rogier Hoppenbrouwers, Natasha de Graaf
UTU
UTU in Maori means BALANCE
Everything you take must be paid back.
Mankind made debts to planet EARTH
The climate crisis is the price we pay.
We need to reduce our CO2 emissions
To RESTORE the BALANCE
Because,
In UTU we will find our PARADISE
Where mankind GIVES what he takes
SHARES what he has, and
TREASURES our PRECIOUS planet
30 – Dovile Seduikyte, Iris de Mooij, Coen Pronk
Dear Papuans,
You live on a huge island filled with various resources. However, life is difficult for you… Poverty, violence and destruction has spread through your lands. It wasn’t always like this.
Your ancestors lived sustainably, by foraging in the jungle and fishing in the sea. Over 800 tribes living on their own, with their own language and their own ways.
But then the ships came… First the English, Dutch and Germans, then the Australians and Indonesians. You don’t need them. What you need is unity among all your tribes. Driven by the same goal you can empower yourselves to be in control of your own island. Pass down the knowledge of how to survive from the jungle. Teach your children the languages and customs of the neighbour tribes. Encourage cooperation and leadership. Grow back the jungle in palm oil plantations and gold mines. Make beautiful traditional houses and clothes out of natural and local materials. This is the way you will become strong. United, empowered and true to yourselves. You will be so strong you will be able to push out the outsiders that hurt you and your island. You will be free to live in balance with nature.
You will set an example to the rest of the world, and they will want to learn your ways. You will teach them how to live in balance, how to use the nature’s gifts sustainably and pass on the knowledge to the future generations. That’s how you will continue to spread your paradise across the planet.
Yours sincerely,
Group 30
31 – Merve Yildiz, Lorena Navarrete, Max Sterckel
The timeless white land off all and the intercontinental bridge
Do not look at your watch, pointless. Do not try to use your GPS, useless. Enjoy the here and now. You wont find any mountains to guide you or any topography to get orientation of, however, the landscape is astonishing. An extensive white field that sooths you and makes you forget about any other landscape you may know. We have built some new spaces where you can stay and enjoy, although, it will be for as long as you can avoid the confusion by the eternal day or the eternal night. This is certainly not a place to linger, and that’s also good.
We no longer have our old paradlCE, yet, Earth is still protected from the sun rays, don’t be afraid. The land of all not only replaced the ice was there but took more area to make us a bigger shield. A white shield that is meant to symbolize togetherness the same way white light is the combination of all colours forming a new one. A land of all.
Look around! So many different faces, all together converge in a timeless space. Timeless but constantly moving. People from there and there going to there or there. And it goes so fast that you almost forget that you are going to other “distant” country (not so distant anymore!, and we are not that different anyway!), you are rather moving to a different space within a big country of all, Earth. Hope on and travel through the intercontinental bridge. From North America to Russia in a blink!
32 – Lillian Slavenburg, Poyan Hazraty, Mehmet Hizal
NEW BLUE HORIZON
An endless horizon that is surrounded by the ocean.
An empty dark place.
No sign of life.
Kilometers deep in the ocean, where sunlight doesn’t reach,
there is a mysterious place where we know nothing about.
The whole world is under water.
Everything on the surface extinguished.
The parts of the eco-system is lost after a huge destruction,
the living species are separated from each other.
Years after years the species are forming a symbiosis.
With this species we lived together as a human being,
but didn’t get in touch with them.
The rejoining of this species, is the reason for a new sparkling eco-system. The quality of this new appearance created a cycle,
what will save us from the coming unpredictable future.
We were only dealing with outputting the planet,
so we didn’t had the change to discover this.
We can learn from the harmony that is created now,
if we will really look at it.
33 – Fabia Sainz Fernandez, Daria Dobrodeeva, Giel Wieggers
WAKE UP.
STOP.
BREATH.
From now on, we have TIME to do everything we ever wanted. We are free.
No more worries about money or status. Now, time is your resource.
You are FREE to save the Planet.
Take a deep breath.
Forget the pressure, focus on the future.
Finally, we have time.
There is no need to suffer anymore. Yes, you read it right – no more suffering.
From this second our mutual idea is to balance the world, everybody becomes equal.
Let’s stop taking advantage from each other and work together for a greater goal.
We will share all our resources. We become one connected Planet Paradise.
No borders anymore, we will embrace mobility freedom, understanding the Planet cycles,
Withing the seasons.
This map aims to represent the connection within countries, cultures, history and nature. A vision of a balanced Planet free of time, free of pressure: equal. Where balance is part of all the ecosystem and time is used as resource, people will become free of the present cage that time has become to our society. WE will be able to take the time to breath, listen, look around and embrace what we have, our planet, our heritage, and take care of it.
If nature does not have any borders, why should we?
34 – Mauri
Dear Tahiti,
Is it really you? You do not look like you used to.
How long have I been gone for?
I’m missing the beauty of your rolling green hills and unspoilt turqouise waves that danced on the edge of the shore.
I do not believe what’s in front of my eyes, I rub them and blink but so much has changed. The shores are filled with floating rubbish poisoning our fish. The open lands where trees and animals used to lie, is filled with grey blocks. Beyond them I can still see the landscape that I used to know and love, so it must be you.
What has happened to you, and all my people?
Tall white people walking around, who are they? They wear strange clothes and shiny things, they travel on volcano sized floating boats.
Have you forgotten the guidance of the stars? Have you lost the way of the gods?
Take inspiration from them once more.
Instead of shiny carriages that float in the skies and bring ignorant people to our island, please only invite the ones that care about our natural environment, people who will look after our sacred land.
People who give not only to receive. People who care to make a contribution to our island by taking care of the nature and animals.
A land of green and peace, guided by the stars, living form natural resources, travelling by boat, taking care of one another. That is my Tahiti.
Mauri
35 – Livia Pontecorvo, Yorick van Eetvelde, Jeroen de Rooij
The story I’m about to tell you is the story of a past life and how, from a tragedy, I found my real purpose in this life. It is the story of my rebirth, how I developed new awareness towards nature and Earth. So Let’s take a step back … It was the year 2021. At the time, I was a CEO of a big company—my only focus: money and power.
My company managed to agree with Russia to extract the gold, silver and platinum in the region of Kamchatka, a wild land with a small population. Dangerous, unstable due to the many volcanoes, geysers and wildlife. A no-mans land. I managed to convince, or better, to drag my whole family on a jet and move there altogether. Useless to say that my kids especially weren’t happy about this change.
We were almost at our destination when the kids started complaining about the long flight when suddenly we heard a loud noise. The plane started going crazy. Lights were flashing, sensors blipping. I grabbed my kids while the plane caught fire, and then, silence!
I woke up with a strong hiss in my ears. My sight was blurred. I could taste blood in my mouth. I slowly stood up, and I realised what just happened. The plane crashed, and I was the only survivor.
In my desperation, I tried to reach out to my kids, my husband, but no one answered. I was alone.
It became darker, and I started hearing some noises in the distance. I began to hope that it was my family, that they survived, but then I realised that the reality was different… It was a pack of wolves, probably smelling an easy prey due to my injuries. I started panicking and yelling, but they moved closer and closer….”This is it,” I thought. “I’m going to join my family soon”…
But all of a sudden, a loud noise stroke the air. The Earth started moving. The volcano had awakened.
The wolves fled in few seconds, and I tried to run in the same direction to try to save myself, but my leg was hurting from the crash and once again, I thought that my time had come. But instead, the Earth calmed down, and everything was quiet again. Just the gentle sound of the wind in the tundra. I didn’t realise right away, but that volcano somehow saved my life. I started my journey to try to get back to civilisation. While walking, I keep discovering how beautiful that wild nature was: the foxes and the wild rabbits, the herds of elks and reindeers, the soft moss under my feet. But several days passed by, no sign of civilisation at the horizon, and the few supplies of food that I managed to collect from the jet were already finished. I was starving, and I didn’t know if I would have been able to go on when I encountered a river. I throw myself to the edge, and I started drinking like it was the first time I did it in my whole life. But something was wrong. I felt the eyes of someone or, most probably, something on me. I slowly turned around, and behind me, there was a giant grizzly bear. I was petrified. The bear stood up and raised his arm, ready to attack, when I noticed something. Weirdly enough, he had a spot on his fur of the exact shape of the birthmark of my husband. Instead of hitting me, he caught a salmon from the river behind me, and he gently placed it next to me. It looked me in the eyes, and at that moment, I realised it was him. He provided me warmth during the night with his soft fur, and when I woke up the day after, he was gone, but he left behind some salmons that provided me food for many days ahead.
I continued to walk for days and days. My wounds and pains got worse and worse. I was about to give up when a group of reindeers surrounded me. A tiny reindeer came to me, it wasn’t a baby, but I could tell that it wasn’t an adult either. It came closer and closer, it looked me in the eyes, and it bent down as if it wanted me to ride her. I hesitated, but then I got on top of her. I realised it was a she, and she was so soft, exactly like my daughter favourite stuffed animal. She carried me for kilometres and kilometres.
Suddenly I saw something on the horizon—the sea and few houses, probably of fishermen. My heart was full of joy. She brought me to the edge of the city, and just before she left, our eyes met, and I knew in my heart that it was her. The reindeer was my daughter.
When I got into town, my first thought was that I needed to stop them. I did not care about the wounds, the hunger. I needed to prevent my company from making that big mistake. I had to protect that beautiful land and avoid an environmental disaster. They thought I went crazy in the woods, speaking about volcanos that pretended to erupt to save my life, bear feeding me and reindeers bringing me back to civilisation. Still, there I was, in my rightest mind, and at the end, they believed me, and they stopped.
Nature is the real richness. No gold, silver or platinum could buy it or even get closer to the value of it. This is the message I will always keep trying to spread in the world. We have to protect nature. We have to protect our home.
So I encourage you to spread this message with me, live your journey, reconnect with nature because nature is in all of us. As I could experience, and as the natives of Kamchatka believe, our soul and the one of our beloved gets back and live in nature after death.
37 – Hannah Lo Liem, Sung-Ching, Enzo Mas