The pledge of a ghost
The English word ghost steams from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz. The prior Proto-Indo-European form was *ǵʰéysd-os, from the root *ǵʰéysd- denoting "fury, anger" reflected in Old Norse geisa "to rage". The project is exploring the feeling of rage toward the environmental catastrophe that our planet is experiencing. In Greek mythology ghost/spirits are past life forms and sometime interfere with the living in order to protect us. Ghosts appeared in Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, they were called upon to provide advice or prophecy, but they do not appear to be particularly feared. The dancer as a ghost, through this photographic project attempts to remind us, that through appreciation, awareness, and knowledge of our environment, we are better able to understand the impact of our interactions.
In many folk religions like, Shinto a nature-related religion from Japan, which some of their practices come from Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, we can see the link between ghosts/spirits, nature, and human beings. In Asian mythology sprits have been interpreted as gods who protect the earth and various natural resources from the exploitation of humans. The appearance of a ghost has often been regarded as an omen or portent of death. The dance of the ghost symbolizes the anger that the ancient spirits are experiencing due to the slow environmental death of the Earth, the only place that they have found home from centuries. Humans have decimated vital parts of nature and their functions in most of the world’s ecosystems. It is clear how human activities have affected the diversity of habitats and natural cycle of life of different forms of life for their immediate profit. Ghost/spirits once being human are able to recognise the human motives, to register with the loss of everyday life of people in this Earth, to forgive their motives, to forget their resentments, but ghost/spirits of the ancient world, has always been a silent protector of their environment. Thus even once been humans, who had tasted greed themselves, are able to understand the impact that has in this planet. Our ghost/spirit becomes seen from the human eye, in order to protest for the loss of the Earth as we know it, and then returns to its natural unseen environment, as people do with their individual ordinary actions. Would the other human notice, listen to the wisdom of the ancient spirit, listen to scientists, and think for themselves, something beside themselves. What needs to happen in a global scale, that hasn’t already happen, for each individual in order to take more actions?