Man and nature: two hurt lovers

In their seminal Ecosex Manifesto, Elizabeth M. Stephens and Annie M. Sprinkle propose to see Earth more as a lover than mother. In a metaphor for the relationship between humans and Earth, this series of flags carries messages between two lovers in pain. The imagined exchanges come from edited excerpts by French Emperor, Napoléon Bonaparte’s notorious love letters to his wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. In sentences that are grammatically and syntactically incorrect, a further breakdown of communication becomes evident. The flags vaguely invoke the design language of national flags and are printed in vivid pastel yellows, warm oranges, and icy blues—colors associated with the natural elements. This series is part of the performance “My throat is burning”, a walking procession first presented at Zappeion Megaron.