Sati Vana project | STEFANO BALMA LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

"Sati Vana"

A liminal world within the Beigua Natural Park.

"Sati Vana" stems from a personal interpretation of the Beigua Natural Park as a place of introspection and transformation. Situated between sea and mountain, the territory is characterized by vast beech forests often shrouded in mist, creating an atmosphere suspended between dream and wakefulness.

It is in this liminal space that trees seem to come alive and interact with us, establishing relationships that are not always idyllic, rather, often disturbing and destabilizing.

"Sati Vana," which in Buddhist tradition means "forest of awareness," offers us a space of investigation to recognize what manifests within and outside of us, as part of a single reality in constant transformation.

Trees with strong personalities alternate with abstract images (created through intentional camera movement and multiple exposure), where reality distorts and dissolves to reappear in new forms.

This state of derealization is emphasized by Kōans (公案). These phrases are enigmas and paradoxical tales from the Chan tradition that, when internalized, allow for a deeper understanding of reality. Kōans are not meant to be solved, but rather left to "resonate," allowing moods and intuitions to manifest freely.

"What is the Way?"

"A man who falls into the well with open eyes"

"You look at me and remain in your own shadow,

wondering why it ever gets dark."

"Where were you before you were born?"

"What was there before the first thought?"

"In the forest, i find it much more reassuring to know where i putting my feet rather than hugging a tree."

"A millipede lived peacefully and calmly until it wondered in what order it put its feet one after another. From that moment on, it could never move again."