INTERIVEW Alexia Alexandropoulou
PUBLISHED 8. FEB 2025
Lelle Demertzi is a multidisciplinary artist whose work intertwines environmental research, mythology, and performance to address urgent ecological issues. Engaging with themes of loss, resilience, and ancestral knowledge, her practice explores the intersections of landscape, memory, and cultural heritage. Through film, movement, and ritual, Lelle creates immersive experiences that invite reflection on our relationship with nature. In this interview, we discuss Lamentum Terrae, a project that mourns wildfire devastation while seeking pathways to renewal.
// “Lamentum Terrae” highlights both the devastation of wildfires and the resilience of cultural memory. Do you consider the performative and sonic elements of your work as a form of social energy—one that mobilizes communities to reconnect with their environment?
The performative and sonic elements in “Lamentum Terrae” act as carriers of social energy by evoking deep emotional responses and fostering a sense of collective mourning and reflection. The piercing sounds of the bells, alongside the presence of the satyr-like nomad, amplify the underlying reverberations of the natural world—one that is in a state of grief and loss. By integrating centuries-old Dionysian ritual practices, the work seeks to reconnect audiences with ancestral wisdom and forgotten relationships with the land. In this way, sound and movement become a means of communal processing, encouraging both introspection and active engagement with the urgent realities of the climate crisis.
// Your work draws from a Dionysian ritual to address ecological devastation. What led you to choose this specific ritual, and how do you see its symbolism resonating with the aftermath of wildfires?
The Dionysian ritual was chosen because of its deep historical ties to cycles of destruction and renewal, as well as its role in facilitating catharsis. Documented as early as the 5th century BC, such rites were used to invoke regeneration and the rebirth of the land, making them particularly relevant in the context of wildfire destruction. The performance within “Lamentum Terrae” symbolically enacts this renewal process, recognizing both the fragility of the land and the possibility of healing. In this way, the ritual functions as a bridge between past and present, myth and reality, mourning and resilience—serving as a powerful metaphor for humanity’s responsibility toward environmental stewardship.
// The three-channel video format immerses the viewer in the harrowing realities of climate crisis. How did you develop the visual and spatial composition to convey both destruction and the possibility of renewal?
The decision to use a three-channel video format stems from a desire to create an immersive, multi-perspective experience that reflects the layered complexities of environmental loss. Each channel serves as a fragmented window into different aspects of the landscape—the charred remains, the nomadic figure moving through the ruins, and the distant echoes of life that once thrived. By juxtaposing desolate imagery with the symbolic elements of ritual and sound, the work not only presents devastation but also hints at the cyclical nature of the land’s resilience. The careful orchestration of visuals, movement, and sonic elements creates a dynamic tension between despair and the potential for renewal, urging viewers to reflect on their own role in shaping the future of the environment.
// In times of ecological crisis, how do you see projects like “Lamentum Terrae” contributing to new forms of energy—whether through cultural resilience, collective action, or the reactivation of ancient wisdom—to inspire meaningful environmental change?
“Lamentum Terrae” contributes to new forms of energy by reviving cultural memory and emphasizing the value of ancestral knowledge in addressing contemporary ecological crises. The project integrates ethnographic research, performative elements, and community engagement in fire-affected regions, creating a space where past traditions and present realities converge. By drawing attention to indigenous land-use techniques and the wisdom embedded in immaterial cultural heritage, the work offers alternative ways of thinking about resilience and restoration. More than just a lament for loss, it serves as a call to action—reminding us that cultural resilience, collective mourning, and the reactivation of ancient knowledge can be powerful forces in navigating and confronting environmental catastrophe.