Ilya Lindhout . info /
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Brunva, 2024/2026
Record of walked shepherd’s trails between Omalo, Shenako, Diklo, Chichi, Dartlo, Chesho, Nakaicho Pass, Verkhovani, Alisgori, Beghela, Bochorna (Tusheti, Georgia)
paper punch cards, music box, wood
126 x 12,5 x 7,5 cm
Installation shots of ‘Across Ground’ (solo show), 2026, Tin, Amsterdam, NL
Derived from the ancient tradition of transhumance, Brunva (Georgian for “cycle”) reflects on how walking functions as a vessel for carrying and transmitting knowledge across generations and lands. By following shepherds and their flocks on daily walks over the course of one month, the work traces historical and contemporary pastoral routes that persist as an intangible archive—preserved through repetition, rhythm, physical exertion, and seasonal movement between pastures. I was amazed by how the shepherds communicate with their sheep and land, beyond the use of language in words. Due to the region’s geographical and historical conditions, many physical records of this cultural phenomena have been lost or never formally documented, making this echo of embodied knowledge worth a listen. The work unfolds through scores of these journeys–traversing the same path repeatedly, where each missing part, each perforated absence, becomes information in itself: each time producing a different experience while remaining connected to a shared one.
The work is a continuation of the artistic research Walking as an Instrument I’ve started during my residency at Aqtushetii (Georgia), for which I explored the cultural phenomenon of ‘transhumance’: the centuries-old seasonal migration of livestock and herders between high- and low-altitude areas. AqTushetii is located in Omalo, in the remote mountainous region of Tusheti National Park—a place where landscape, sun, light, clouds, and ritual are inextricably intertwined. In winter, Tusheti is almost completely cut off by snow. Permanent habitation at high altitudes is then impossible. Within this geographical and cultural context, I investigated how their sheep migration functions as carrier of knowledge, tradition, and collective memory shaping the landscape.
Supported by Mondriaan Fonds
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