The Body Once Knew Where The Water Still Runs
“my Mother always used to say she takes her powers from the Trees. one day, i asked her to teach me to take my powers from the Trees too, but she said i was the one who taught her”
The Body Once Knew Where The Water Still Runs explores the lost connection between humanity and the Earth, tracing the echoes of a time when they were one. It presents the body in dialogue with the forest, at times grounded and rooted, at others fragmented and lost. This work becomes a voice of a collective human memory, recalling a time when the human body listened to nature, moved with its rhythms, and drew strength from its connection to animals, forests, and soil.
“my chest is shattered into pieces,
i know i must collect them all.
i used to sing with Birds and run with Breezes,
now Nature’s touch feels like a skin burn.”
“when i cry, i let the Wind blow away my tears, i let the Rain run them down,
i let the Sun turn them into steam.”
“i used to converse with Animals, and they used to speak back. i used to share my house with them, and trust them to navigate me through the dark. i used to trust the Reindeers to guide me through harsh landscapes. i used to let the Wolves care for my children, and I used to provide care for their own. i used to notice Insects behaving differently before the Storm. i used to notice the movement of Herds, and the upcoming shifts in the Seasons. i used to share the found-together Honey with Birds. i used to put my belief into Animals, i used to spiritually connect with them, i used to see them as the messengers of the Divine.”
“when my body is in pain, i don’t ask the Earth for help anymore.”
“the state of peace when i’m among the Trees
has become the only reminder of how me and them were once a Whole.
i am so sorry.”
All photography by Nikol Ochichenko, assisted by Cormac O’Connor. Photo book printed and assembled by Four Zeros, Warsaw, Poland.