Fog. And the Whole World Stops.

FOG is the first video landscape from the series And the Whole World Stops. It focuses on exploring our daily environment that we often assume to be predictable and mundane. Its main objective is to help the viewer tune into a familiar landscape, notice its mechanism, become more aware of it and, eventually, perceive it from a new perspective. To be taken by surprise, experience the feeling of awe in our everyday life and take some time to contemplate and reflect.

We live in times when technology and culture interact with each other more than ever. Our contemporary, information-intensive environment shifts our perception of time passing and influences the way we navigate spaces, both physical and virtual. Unnecessary noise often takes away our focus and affects our ability to see. Consequently, it is easy for us to miss out on this visual feast happening all around us all the time.

For the site of my visual exploration I chose Crissy Field of San Francisco. For months I would walk there every morning, afternoon and evening to observe the life contained in that recreational space. Sometimes I would start walking at a fast pace, gradually slow down, and periodically stop to observe people interact in their natural environment. Soon I realized that my own perception of the environment was influenced by times of the day, changing weather conditions or simply my own state of mind and moods. It seemed to be true for the passersby too, who were often oblivious or indifferent to the magic taking place in front of their very eyes, such as futuristic-looking vertical-axis wind turbines and Great Blue Herons standing still or gliding silently through the early morning fog.

Eventually, a Great Blue Heron became a metaphor in my work for mindful stillness and a symbol for surviving, adapting and thriving in an environment that is undergoing a constant change.

In FOG I combined the footage I recorded on Crissy Field on a typical San Francisco foggy morning.