The church of the first and last farmer, Basile Collet, CCC – Programme Master de recherche HEAD – Genève
© Claudia Ndebele
The church of the first and last farmer
Basile Collet
This project is part of Basile Collet’s ongoing research (Telluric Eroticism vs. Apocalyptic Populism) on the construction and cultural/political productions of the Apocalypse narrative, particularly under the scope of its reactivation in the context of Planetary Meltdown, late capitalism, and neoliberalism. The piece consists in the ceremonial space of a fictive cult, dedicated to the worship of Jouissance (from lacanian theory, repopularized by Edelman in 2004). Following a now-obvious idea that other narratives, myths, beliefs, futures must be produced in order to perform other now-and-then, Basile manipulates the form and thematic of religion and cult in a more authoritative, almost provocative, manner as an invitation to speculate on the conflicts between the common good and individual freedom. The altar pieces, the spatial arrangement of the «chapel», the graphic-narrative drawings on plastic sheets are inspired by Basile’s Christian heritage, which he detours and reactivates according to his interests in science fiction, queer theory, deviant and political ecologies, speculative naturalism and vernacular construction. "I am very interested in the tension that arises from the desire to produce symbolically strong elements, while working with low means and raw materials." In the space is spread as an incense, a synthesized molecule of Cis-3-Hexenol, an ethanol naturally secreted by plants in situations of aggression, mostly known by humans as the smell of cut grass, but which above all attracts animal species on the attacked territory. The scent is here mobilized to set up a sensual space of prospective, ambiguously invoking the feelings of danger and appeal. It aims at thickening the links between sensuality, spirituality, and ecology that Basile establishes in his research, emphasizing the transformative potency of ecology when comprehended as an affective sharing of vital issues, and creating aspiration for ecolibidinous futures.
The church of the first and last farmer, Basile Collet, CCC – Programme Master de recherche HEAD – Genève
© Claudia Ndebele
The church of the first and last farmer, Basile Collet, CCC – Programme Master de recherche HEAD – Genève
© Claudia Ndebele
The church of the first and last farmer, Basile Collet, CCC – Programme Master de recherche HEAD – Genève
© Claudia Ndebele