Welcome to the online lecture “MYTHS, HUMANS and NATURE”, second in the lecture series in connection to the project ´relating forests.´
Date: April 8, 2025
Time: 09.00 – 12.00 CET
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Send email to elina@vitenparken.no if you require help with a sign up.
The European project ‘relating forest’, a collaboration between TheatreFragile (GER), Cultures Eco Actives (FRA) and Norwegian BioArt Arena, NOBA (NOR), addresses the urgent need to rethink our relationship with nature in order to tackle the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity. On March 13th and 8th of April the consortium invites you to listen to exciting lectures on the functional principles of myths, the relationship between man and nature and the importance of mask rituals in Europe.
During our online seminar photographer Yannick Cormier and professor in Sámi literature Harald Gaski will offer inspiring insights into how myths work, how people relate to nature and discuss the significance of mask rituals in Europe. The aim of this seminar is to develop a deeper understanding of the role of myths and rituals in our relationship with nature.
We want to explore how these elements can be used to raise awareness of sustainable development and stimulate a shift in our thinking. The online event is aimed at artists, cultural practitioners, environmental organisations and anyone interested in sustainability, art and nature.
Program:
09:00 – 09:15 | Introduction to the project relating forests
09:15 – 10:00 | Lecture: ‘ When we still could speak with the animals’ – Sámi values, views and understanding of the human-nature relation with Harald Gaski
10:00 – 10:20 | Q&A – open to public
10:20 – 10:30 | Break
10:30 – 11:15 | Lecture: Mask Traditions in European Paganism with Yannick Cormier
11:15 – 11:40 | Q&A
11:40 – 12:00 | Conclusion and thank you
About the lectures:
‘ When we still could speak with the animals’ – Sámi values, views and understanding of the human-nature relation
In his talk, professor Harald Gaski will take a closer look at the traditional Sámi relationship to the surrounding nature, and how this is expressed in myths, stories and beliefs. The Sámi used to communicate with their fellow inhabitants; the birds and the animals and treated the forest as a respectful partner with whom one wanted to be on good terms with.
Mask Traditions in European Paganism
In this lecture, photographer Yannick Cormier delves into how European mask rituals powerfully embody the ancient connection between humans and the natural world, highlighting the omnipresence of animal and plant forms where figures covered in fur, leaves, or straw symbolize humanity’s primordial relationship with the forest. Drawing from his documentary work in Spain and Portugal for his “Tierra Magica” series, Cormier explores how these characters serve as essential mediators between worlds, embodying nature’s regenerative power while helping communities confront ecological anxieties.
About the lecturers:
Harald Gaski is a Professor in Sámi Literature at Sámi allaskuvla / Sámi University of applied sciences in Norway. He now lives in Deatnu (Tana) in North Norway, after more than 40 years in Tromsø at the university there. Gaski is the author and editor of several books on Sámi literature and culture. He has translated Sámi literature into Norwegian and English. Particularly well-known are his interpretations of works by Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, who was awarded the 1991 Nordic Council Literature Prize. Gaski’s research specializes on Indigenous critical studies, Sámi aesthetics, worldview and values, as well as the transition from oral to written culture.
Gaski has been instrumental in establishing Sami literature as an academic field and has been awarded for his research and writing, most recently as an honorary doctor at Umeå university in 2024. Gaski’s most recent anthology of Sámi literature is Myths, Tales and Poetry from Four Centuries of Sámi Literature, 2020.
Yannick Cormier (b. 1975) is a French documentary photographer whose work profoundly explores the intersection between humanity and nature through the lens of pagan and traditional rituals. Since beginning his photographic journey in 1999, Cormier has developed a particular fascination with documenting communities that maintain deep physical and psychic connections with nature and the living world.
His work is distinguished by its focus on mask rituals and sacred ceremonies. Cormier sees ritual masks as powerful instruments of transformation and sacred embodiment, believing they serve as bridges between worlds. As he notes, “masks directly and tangibly express the presence of spirits or gods” and “tighten the boundaries between worlds.”
During his 15-year immersion in Tamil Nadu, India, resulting in his work “Dravidian Catharsis,” Cormier documented intense spiritual practices where devotees enter collective trance states, highlighting how communities maintain connections with rivers, mountains, animals, and trees as manifestations of subtle beings and deities.
His subsequent project “Tierra Magica” (2017-2020) explored carnival rites and masquerades in northwestern Spain and Portugal, focusing on how these traditions regenerate community bonds and help people overcome their fears through ritual.
About ´relating forests´
With an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, the project focuses on re-imagining the relationship between nature and culture through the exploration of imagination, European mythologies and rituals. The 16-month project involves three institutions committed to sustainable development and four artists specialising in storytelling, mask theatre and sound work. The approach aims to stimulate a critical view of the relationship between people, nature and landscape, and to create innovative artistic offerings that engage emotionally and intellectually.
The project includes an artistic exchange with theoretical input and a focus on participatory methodology, as well as three workshops in France, Germany and Norway with aesthetic explorations in the forest and exchanges with experts, artists, educators and young people from the region.
‘relating forests’ is supported by Creative Europe.
