Foraging at PIFcamp with Dario Cortese © Katja Goljat
Another day at PIFcamp in beautiful Soča valley in Julian Alps. Today PIFcamp opens its doors for visitors in their traditional « Open Saturday » of demonstrations, installations and performances.
The annual exploratory trips around the camp guided by PIFcamp wild man and nutrition expert, Dario Cortese, with whom they are getting to know various edible wild plants, have been upgraded this year. PIFcamp participants are working to systematically mark the habitats of the surrounding edible wild plants. The first mapping have already taken place on the way to the abandoned village of Lemovje, located on a hill and featuring some spectacular vistas.
This year PIFcamp strive to establish guidelines for a holistic approach to the understanding of our relationship to food, which has always been an important part of the camp. Some experiments with fermentation and bread baking are ongoing. Also, in a playful way food is also the focal point of a soon to be completed board game. The board game’s originators Grace Wong and Jennifer Katanyovtamant try to encourage its players to try new flavours (natto, durian, kimchi …), to make new combinations of flavours and above all, to talk about food.
Scott Kildall, an American conceptual and multimedia artist, communicates in a very unique way. By positioning various response sensors and creative electronics at different points around the camp and manipulating sound material he is recording here, he is constantly setting new and humorous tones to our surrounding.
Possible layouts of modular outdoor mobile furniture, that would allow for participants to work, rest or spend some time even closer to nature are of interest to a group gathered around the Greek architect Olivia Kotsifa, whose prime interest is in co-creating these possible environments of the future. With an enthusiastic group of fellows Olivia has already checked up some possible locations to set the furniture up.
The German nomadic scientist with a background in molecular biology Julian Chollet has immediately buried his hands in the ground. Visiting the camp with a desire to study and explore the soil, which he otherwise does in the context of the open research platform HUMUS sapiens, he took some samples of soil. Examined under the microscope they indicated that the soil around the camp is alive and full of microorganisms that assist in biodegradation.
« PIF » comes from the Slovenian « piflar » which means « nerd » or “hacker » and many variations have been heard, from PIFfood, to PIFnic, PIFsynth, PIFform, PIFling, etc. Although most PIFparticipants work on their projects, there is a lot of collaboration and idea-sharing. The relaxed atmosphere and openness of the participants allow for creative exchange, validation of ideas, as well as solving completely practical and abstract problems.
Read our days 1&2 and 3&4 reports.
More on PIFcamp.