handmade fire

garden skool, a project by Golboo Amani for community skill sharing and knowledge exchange, highlighted diverse earth work practices, including the ee portal performance: handmade fire.

The original practice of setting fire to Southern Ontario to produce the great black oak savannahs, underpinned the performance. After the fire was lit, ee portal opened the space for exchanges around living in an ancient remnant savannah.

“The rain fell hard all day and the air was thick with moisture. If felt as though the clouds lifted their heavy blanket just as people arrived to the Handmade Fire. Emilio and Elyse Portal worked tirelessly to generate a flame. They teased us with numerous attempts. We smelled the smoke and witnessed the sparks but the moist air dominated and eventually won over. Still we sat by the fire, exhausted with anticipation. Mesmerized by the flames we learned of the relationship between humans and land through fire.” ~ Golboo Amani

tinder bundle: birch, milkweed, plants

South Asian Visual Arts Centre, Toronto, ON

2016

performance photographs and review by Golboo Amani