Middle of Nowhere: a chosen place
Spanning four locations from forest to metropolis, this series of events aims to explore, examine, interpret, and celebrate the natural world, not only as something to be protected but something to be experienced.
See all four events here
Event 1:
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance stands at the frontlines of protecting the fragile ecosystem of The New Jersey Pine Barrens. We invite you to spend the day at PPA's Bishop Farmstead Headquarters and historic barn with live music and film, co-produced by The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and Studioscopic, curated by the director of The Pine Barrens film, David Scott Kessler.
in-person and virtual
FEATURING
The Pine Barrens, a film by David Scott Kessler accompanied by a live score by The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra
A wilderness, sculpted by fire, stands defiant of the encroaching megalopolis surrounding it. Once deemed inhospitable, the Pinelands became home to many. Through a veil of folklore and myth, their sense of identity is inexorably linked to the diminishing island of darkness in a sea of traffic and lights within the most densely populated state in the nation - New Jersey.
The Pine Barrens film is an epic tone-poem, where raging forest fires and crackling campfires generate rebirth of the physical ecology and the identity of the land and its inhabitants. It is a celebration of nature and a portrait of a particular place, but one that casts doubt on its know-ability and our ability to discern reality from superstition. The Pine Barrens explores the symbiotic yet sometimes destructive relationship between man and nature. Through moments with individuals spanning several years, it reveals the influence of place on identity during a period of gradual loss of both a way of life and the environment that gave birth to it.
Since 2012, short, evolving work-in-progress versions of The Pine Barrens have been screened with a live score by The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra, making the project unfixed and semi-improvised, emphasizing the experience of our changing relationship to place and the natural world over time.
www.pinebarrensfilm.com
ruinsoffriendshiporchestra.bandcamp.com
In-person & Virtual
Music by Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones is an instrumentalist of unparalleled skill and creativity. As a masterful raconteur Jones’ guitar work is both complex and sublime, intricate and emotional. His deep knowledge of the world of American Primitive music and his abilities on the fretboard have made Jones a pillar in his community. With each album Jones chronicles his experience, looking to the past or capturing the present with limber melodies that potently communicate the underlying emotions of the songs. Jones’ flair for storytelling shines in a live setting where origin stories are quite often the song’s introduction. It not only makes for an exceptional evening of listening but one that draws on the deep traditions of country blues. www.thrilljockey.com/artists/glenn-jones
In-person & Virtual
Inhabited: Short Experimental Films
Humans will have to change their relationship to the natural world.
This isn't just an imperative. This is a certainty.
As our climate changes and manufactured systems march steadily towards their breaking points, humans will need to adapt to whatever comes after what we currently refer to as "civilization".
Many people realize that the distinction between ourselves and the natural world is unsubstantiated and self-defeating, but what will our new relationship and understanding look like?
Through shifting perspectives, science-fiction, and non-humancentric modes of storytelling, we can begin to realign our beings and prepare ourselves for what comes next.
Pine Barrens by Nancy Holt, 1975
The Whelming Sea by Sean Hanley, 2020
Landscape to be Invented by Josh Weissbach, 2020
Moon Viewing Platform by Nadia Hironaka & Matthew Suib, 2019
full descriptions here
In-person Only
Sound Structure by Raúl Romero
Raúl Romero's work uses sound as a physical material and translates psychoacoustic phenomena into gestural scenarios. Intercommunication among us and our environment sits at the root of his practice. Romero sees sound as a multiplex medium where language, data, and music takes form to create sonic experiences. He takes different approaches surrounding the idea of "connections," from cultural histories to satellite dishes to ecologies.
In-person Only
Invitation to Pinelands Adventure
Pinelands Adventures is the premier wilderness outfitter for river trips and guided tours in the Pinelands National Reserve. An initiative of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Pinelands Adventures offers self-guided and guided nature experiences in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
People who purchase tickets to attend Middle of Nowhere on 9/4/21 at the Bishop Farmstead or a virtual pass ( good for 1 discount per email registered) receive a 20% discount on Pinelands Adventures’ self-guided trip that can be used for the rest of the paddling season which ends Oct. 31, 2021. The discount can only be used once and is non-transferable. Ticket holders must call Pinelands Adventures at 609-268-0189 to reserve their trip and use their discount for a canoe or kayak rental. We encourage you to book as early as possible since space is limited and trip fill up quickly.
Get more information at www.pinelandsadventures.org or call their friendly staff at 609-268-0189.
All trips leave from the Pinelands Adventures center located in beautiful Wharton State Forest at 1005 Atsion Road, Shamong NJ 08088.
In-person & Virtual
Streaming production provided by Powercycle Productions
a STUDIOSCOPIC production - directed by David Scott Kessler