Mount Merapi, located in Indonesia, has been active since 1548. Its exuberant presence simultaneously inspires beauty, an air of mystery, and bewilderment. Despite being one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, thousands of people live at its base, where their seemingly contradictory visions come together. A couple of scientists record and study the volcano’s daily activity, a documentary filmmaker gathers information on the impact of mining extraction in the region, a paramilitary group controls the territory and terrorizes the inhabitants, and shamanic rituals exalt the supernatural forces of Merapi, its vibrations through time and space, and the way in which humanity—ultimately made up of the very same elements as the volcano—adapts to its indomitable nature. Monisme forges a hypnotic syncretism around this «mountain of fire.» Each dynamic has its own aesthetic and logic that breaks down dichotomies; archives of past eruptions are part of the present landscape, and the separation between human, natural, and spiritual aspects is gradually diluted. The result is a daring production, with an unconventional and hybrid narrative that includes fictional and non-fictional, scientific and mythical elements, as well as those typical of art installations.

Alejandra Meneses