Fire in the Lake
Α performance for the camera by Eleni Mylonas
single channel video with sound, duration 13 minutes.
First public showing Saturday January 22, 2022 via Eventbrite and Zoom,
followed by a discussion with Eleni Mylonas.
“I walked down to the sea shore to take a swim on an August afternoon and I saw strange objects floating on the surface. I dipped my hand in and brought up a handful of burned wood shards. A thick black pulp was covering the sea as far as the eye could see. It was an alien apocalyptic sight. I photographed and video recorded the scene and I gathered several sacks of black pulp, pine cones, sticks and several other incinerated objects. I brought this material back to my studio and I created a mandala as a monument to the losses suffered from the wild fires, now a familiar worldwide event. The classification of the objects composing the installation is reminiscent of a museum display or perhaps of a burial ground of fallen soldiers. The work was completed during the performance for the camera coming full circle with the ominous destruction of the mandala itself.”
The video opens with a Sanskrit hymn from Rig Veda sang by Eleni Mylonas to the God Ganesh, who blesses all new beginnings. The chant towards the end, N’at, is an ode to Mohamed sang in Farsi by a traditional Afghan singer, recorded by UNESCO in the 1960s.
The title comes from the oracle of Hexagram #49 of the I Ching
Fire in the lake: The image of Revolution.
Necessary action: Transformation.
Conceived and performed by Eleni Mylonas
Editing and sound design by Stefanos Bertakis
Camera: Theodore Mihopoulos & Stefanos Bertakis
Drone operator: Vassilios Vafeiadis
Color Correction: Giorgos Kolios
Production Assistant: Georgia Lale