Araucaria is an evergreen tree from Chile, characterized by green glossy leaves, spiny at the apex, and a wrinkled and thick bark. As an ancient tree, it is deeply linked to the symbolism and sacredness of the Mapuche, the indigenous population of Chile and Argentina. The places where the araucarias are still present seem to define imaginary and surreal landscapes, laden with an archaic dimension.
The photographs taken in the Nahuelbuta National Park are put in relationship with some frames taken from the film Stalker (1979) by Andrej Arsen'evič Tarkovskij. This duality opens up to a space where a feeling of otherness prevails: as the path of the characters within the Zona of the movie is fully existential, the forest becomes a physical translation of a fully individual aisle.
Contribution published in the context of the workshop held by Teresa Piardi and Mario Ciaramitaro, Master Iuav in Photography, 2018.
