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on reaching the other shore

durational performance during the autumnal equinox in nida, lithuania

i am following the sun on its path, observing its movement across the sky.

it is the 22nd of september, the day of the equinox, where now, for now one short moment, all parts of this earth are being rendered equal. all receive the same treatment by the sun, all have twelve hours of light and twelve hours of night.

with my feet i am marking out the progression of these twelve hours, inching forward in baby steps. the route i cover, spanning from the coast of the curonian lagoon to the coast of the baltic sea is not long, 2046 meters to be precise, so i must be careful not to move too fast.

this tree just ahead must not be more than fifty meters away, but still i know it will be more than twenty minutes until i reach it.

i study it as i am progressing towards it. it grows solitarily in the dunes, moving even slower than i am now. it is still young, having sprung no more than a handful of branches and needles. with every step my perspective changes ever so slightly, small details appearing and vanishing constantly.

this is a speed made for observing, a speed for contemplating. choose this pace and there will be no need to look at the path – keep your eyes closed and gaze inwards instead.



photographs by laurynas skeisgiela