Lea Novi

The Zugspitze, which is the highest mountain in Germany, is part of the Alps. Temperatures in the Alps are rising twice as fast as the global average in Europe due to the climate crisis. On the mountain, there used to be the largest glacier in Germany, but not much of it remains today. This change is not only visible visually; it has consequences for the entire ecosystem, including the scarcity of water sources as well melting permafrost. People, animals, and plants are all affected.

Somewhere Else is Closer than You Think is a story that revolves around multiple characters who have a specific connection to the mountain and I meet during my research. I grew up in a hiking culture closely tied to the mountain. For the project I embarked several hiking trips with family members to gain an understanding of each character. Artist and writer Julia Wilhelm composed individual texts from the perspective of each character.

The loss of all glaciers in the Alps is inevitable. If we perceive this tragic issue as an incentive to question our relationship with nature and take necessary steps to address it, the idea of a utopia portrayed in the fictional images might not be only a fantasy. How would the environment appear if species within the habitat were granted the same rights as humans (should) have? 

For the project I followed the essentiell question: How do I want to relate to nature?