Holes in Light
Artist
Eva Petric
Format
Multimedia performance
Data
Statistical Data
Satellite Imagery
Source
Worldometer
Airbus Defence and Space; modified Copernicus Sentinel data processed by ESA; JAXA; NASA and USGS
Eva Petrics “Holes in Light” is an “apology” to planet Earth told through statistics, satellite images, music by Hayato Nakao, and expressive human shadows drawn from her Art Photographs: Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series.
“By using data of various human activity on Earth in combination with satellite imagery and superimposing these with human shadow forms, Petric aims to disclose the human trace, the so–to–say shadow imprint of humans on planet Earth. The video is a poetic apology of humans to Earth's nature and acknowledgement of our, intentional as well as unintentional, likewise conscious and unconscious traces that we leave behind and emit through our human presence on planet Earth.” – Artist statement, Eva Petric.
Video and artwork by Eva Petric
Music:Hayato Nakao
Art Photographs from Eva Petric's Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series
© Eva Petric
Photo credit: Eva Petric
With support from ArtEO, Petric developed the piece into a multimedia performance. Petric commanded the stage, offering verbal "apologies" to our planet. This immersive performance enveloped the entire space, inviting people to contend with hard truths and mixed feelings – discomfort, alarm, beauty, curiosity…
Video and artwork by Eva Petric
Music: Hayato Nakao
Art Photographs from Eva Petric's Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series
© Eva Petric
Photo credit: Sitara Kapur
And what of the places captured in the satellite images? Petric eloquently describes locations such as these as "Earth’s tender zones" – where humanity and nature co-exist together, in a fragile balance: “Overlaid with satellite images depicting so called "Earth's tender zones" she exposes our collective human imprint on planet Earth, as a poetic apology to our one and only common planet Earth, with the hope that her video inspires further reflection - conversation - action for maintaining a homeostatic state and relation between humans and Earth.” – Artist statement, Eva Petric.
Video and artwork by Eva Petric
Music: Hayato Nakao
Art Photographs from Eva Petric's Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series
© Eva Petric
Photo credit: Sitara Kapur
Petrić's work on Holes in Light builds upon her long standing artistic exploration into the expressive potential of human shadow forms. Her 2009 limited edition book, Eva Petric, Gr@y Matter - Language of Shadows, features "over 300 monochrome analogue photographs representing a vocabulary of shadows… that are visualizing emotions and offering a universal language. The book also contains the statements on shadows by 50 people of different ages, genders, professions, cultures, social status and nationality from all over the world, all responding to the artist's specific call.”
Video and artwork by Eva Petric
Music: Hayato Nakao
Art Photographs from Eva Petric's Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series
© Eva Petric
Photo credit: Sitara Kapur
UPDATE 2025
In 2025, Petric was awarded the Toshihiro Hamano Special Award at the Utazu Art Award Biennial 2025 in Japan for her project Holes in Light: “At the Biennale 2025 in Utazu, I participated with my new cycle of images commenting on the state of humankind on our planet Earth using the satellite images from my collaboration with the Slovenian satellite NEMO HD by Space.si, as well as images provided to me by ArtEO.earth, as [part of the] Pioneers”.
Video and artwork by Eva Petric
Music: Hayato Nakao
Art Photographs from Eva Petric's Gr@y matter - Language of shadows series
© Eva Petric
Photo credit: Sitara Kapur
