Argentine photographer and Jungian psychologist Laura Ferro recently visited Awasi Iguazu to participate in the Awasi Artist Immersion programme.
Starting in 2018, the programme has seen Awasi host scores of artists at both Awasi Iguazu, deep in the Atlantic Rainforest of northern Argentina, and Awasi Patagonia, overlooking the iconic towers of the Torres del Paine national park in Chilean Patagonia.
Allowing both of these boutique, Relais & Chateaux properties to showcase the unique natural beauty of their surroundings whilst simultaneously inspiring creativity amongst the participating artists themselves has allowed the programme to grow from strength to strength in recent years, with Laura the most recent artist to take part.
Family history and the Atlantic Rainforest
Laura has an interdisciplinary approach, combining photography, video, writing, and archival research. Her training as a psychologist informs the themes she works with: particularly inherited family history, and the interplay between humans and their environment.
A stay at Awasi Iguazu was the ideal opportunity to explore both themes side by side, inspired as she was by both the unique environment and the culture of the Atlantic Rainforest.
Spirits inhabit every pebble
Ten years ago, Laura visited Japan, where she encountered Shintoism, an ancient Japanese religion rooted in the belief in Kami – spirits inhabiting elements of nature.
This concept of the intense importance of every aspect of the natural world profoundly influenced her artistic vision.
Enthused by the Atlantic Rainforest during her stay at Awasi Iguazu, this theme of the natural world underpinning everything once again became a key tenet of her experience and artistic impression.
Embracing the forest
Rather than seeking specific subjects to photograph, Ferro embraced the forest with openness, allowing herself to be moved by its wonders; a beam of light piercing the dense foliage, or a fantastic animal appearing unexpectedly, or the mist rising ethereally from the river’s surface in the still moments after dawn became the focal points of her exploration.
The Atlantic Rainforest revealed landscapes like mirrored glass and pathways hinting at otherworldly realms, creating a meditative and immersive experience.
Cameras at dawn
Laura rose early, curious to see the changes in the light as the forest awakened. Accompanied by the sounds of birdsong and other animals contributing to the dawn chorus, Laura spent a morning exploring the forest in the first hours of daylight.
She brought various cameras and tools of her trade; an analogue Hasseblad 501, a digital Sony ATR4 and more, to document her experiences through different lenses, each offering a unique perspective of this unique and mesmerising landscape.
Learning from the Guarani in their home
During her residency, Laura was particularly inspired by the Guaraní community near Awasi Iguazu.
She learnt about the culture and spiritual practices of the Guaraní community surrounding Awasi Iguazu. The cultural exchange led to her lending her camera to be photographed by them; playing with the traditional dynamic of artist and subject, visitor and host.
This encounter enriched her understanding of the rainforest’s cultural and spiritual significance, weaving new threads into her artistic narrative that she will carry with long after her trip to Iguazu fades to distant memories.
Laura Ferro participated in the Awasi Artist Immersion. She stayed at the 14-villa Relais & Chateaux Awasi Iguazu luxury lodge, located in Northern Argentina by the Iguazu Falls.