Ghost Camp 3
2019
Camping Session
Contributors: Eloïse Bonneviot, Anne de Boer, Natalie Hurst, Angela Chan (WORM), Theo Reeves-Evision, The Trees That Yield (Hannah Lees), Alex Lennox-Warburton, Alexander William Mobbs-Iles.
Ghost Campers: Lea Collet, Wouter Van der Hallen, Alice Vodoz, Alexander Mobbs-Iles, Jack Lavender, Amy Matthews, Alex Lennox-Warburton, Joey Holder, Hannah Parikh, Theo Gilmour-Rees, Ryan Heath, Joseph Winsborrow.
Ghost Camps are communal camping moments where participants are invited to reimagine the traditional mythologies around the Left through workshops, readings and screenings. This year, a collaboration between The Mycological Twist and Chaos Magic, we gathered at the edge of Sherwood Forest near Nottingham. Sherwood – home of the mythical Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give back to the poor – a testimony to the power of storytelling as a form of resistance.
While later iterations added the trope of Mariane and a noble affiliation, its origin speaks of a commoner with disdain for the highborns. The move to ‘tame’ Robin Hood character by painting it as a less controversial figure speaks volumes. The wood as a place where one withdraws from power is another notable character in this folk myth. It is a shelter that functions as an extension to the city.
The proximity of the forest with Nottingham allows for a porosity, ideal for Robin Hood’s guerilla actions. The forest, thus, becomes a political agent intertwined with the fate of Nottingham’s citizens. In this edition we wanted to look at the woods as a place where mythologies are built and easily imagined. Before Sherwood Forest gained fame through Robin Hood, the vikings used this forest as to meet and hold assemblies. Wandering the same landscape we imagine and explore the way mythological characters emerged from forests and plains, changing their characteristics through day and night.
Ghost Camp 2
2018
Camping Session
Contributions by YGRG, Holly White, OMSK Social Club, Joey Holder, Huw Lemmey, Leslie Kulesh, Raffael Dörig and Jean-Francois Henry.
With many thanks to all participants: Dane Sutherland, Holly White, Jan M. Kunkel, Jan van Oordt, Joey Holder, Juliette Desorgues, Lea Collet, Marios Stamatis, Nilz Källgren, Penny Rafferty, Rosanna Puyol, Samuel Capps, Thomas Sidali.
Ghost Camps are communal camping moments where participants are invited to re-imagine the traditional mythologies around the left through workshops, readings and screenings. How are ideas of communities, ecology and agency mutating through the prism of digital culture and silicon valley business models. What are the pitfalls of those mythologies and how to overcome them. With the revival of right-wing and fascist ideologies Ghost Camp finds ways of discussing these mechanisms and find alternative counter strategies and practical ways of defense. Noticing their use of survival camps to enhance communal bonds Ghost Camp uses that same strategy as a counter tactic. Where those camps usually result in an even further exclusive and disconnected community the aim is to provide something starting communal that can, in turn, become inclusive and outwards looking.
For this edition focus has been on bio-hacking or reclaiming the freedom to heal your body outside of a state / company structure. Larping and larping rules as potential for negotiating exchange in a post #metoo era. Capture the alt-right flag and how to build your survival kit. In general and as an overall umbrella theme, we are looking at edging and separation as violence against ecosystems of persons (in the broad sense, plants, humans, animals, AI etc…)
This project is organized under the umbrella of the Mycological Twist in collaboration with Leslie Kulesh. This years Ghost Camp was hosted by La Dépendance, an artist-residency program run by Jan van Oordt. It concluded with a display of the remnants of workshops via an informal walk through the different notions explored during those 3 days.
Ghost Camp 1
2017
Camping Session
Contributions by: Huw Lemmey, Raffael Dörig, Erica Scourti
Ghost Camp 2017 participants: Holly White, Leo Cohen, Joey Holder, Maggie the Dog, Carolina Ongaro, Charlie Woolley, Avy Woolley.
High Beech – Epping Forrest.
Organized by the Mycological Twist / Leslie Kulesh, Eloïse Bonneviot and Anne de Boer.
On the occasion of 'Escaping the Digital Unease' an exhibition curated by Raffael Dörig for Kunsthaus Langenthal.
2017 manifesto:
Refuse the one event apocalypse narrative as a neo-liberal convenient narrative.
Time is differing, in constant motion and Revolutions are always ongoing.
Refuse isolationism and communitarianism as a nostalgic right-wing agenda.
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
Refuse hyper-utilitarian logics as a residue from a
political reading of Darwin’s evolution theory,
hence leading to toxic social behaviours amongst which survivalism.
Think of alternative vocabularies for science and research aka, exit voc.
using war or conquer ref, instead of Latin of Greek roots look for non-western vocabulary.
REFUSE REUSE RECYCLE
Resist technological withdrawal, instead incorporating it as a duty;
Defend minority visibility online, while defeating trolls;
keeping yourself informed, open internet;
key maintenance of communities and friendship.
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
Instead of apocalypse favour the rise of left post capitalist utopias,
or apocalypse as unveiling the truth,
which changes does this formulation of reality triggers?
Eg. anthropocene, global warming, etc…
Instead of isolationism, think of networks of 3 dimensional communities in interaction.
Shatter the myth of the hunter gatherer as isolated people.
RESIST REUSE RECYCLE
Instead of survivalism, consider knowledge and awareness of
the fragile balance of ecosystem as a way to live.
I live in awareness with- rather than survive against.
RETHINK REFUSE REUSE
Rethink the interaction within clusters of communities.
How to live together, what kind of system (post matri-patriarchal)?
Morphing the private/public sphere, learning from the nomad, the traveller, it’s a circus anyway.