The project Personal Encounters for Two: Lives of Others by artist Ivana Filip was initiated during the coronavirus pandemic and continues to develop to this day. It centres around an interactive concept in which the artist invites individuals to engage in conversations within a space especially designed for this purpose. During these dialogues, participants share their memories of encounters with plants and animals, exchange experiences, and reflect on their emotions and attitudes towards nature. The artist then uses the collected materials – conversations, audio and video recordings, and other content – to shape her artworks, creating intriguing forms with diverse visual structures and distinctly poetic undertones.

In a time when humanity’s relationship with nature is often disrupted by industrial and consumerist trends, this project shifts the focus back to what truly matters – the personal, authentic experience of nature and Others, and the importance of cultivating harmonious relationships with our environment. Each encounter holds the potential for a cathartic experience, enabling the creation of new stories that connect us with nature and with one another.

Ivana Filip is a Croatian artist and activist known for her exploration of the relationship between humans and other living beings, combining different disciplines and media in her work. She holds an MA in Economics from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, an MA in Arts from the Master Performing Public Space programme at Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in Tilburg, Netherlands, and a BA in Fine Arts (Moving Image Department) from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, Netherlands.