Exposure Therapy is a moving image by Brendi Wedinger presenting the complexion of nature through the destruction of wildfires and its impact on the ecosystem. As opposed to the negative portrayal on the news, Wedinger offers a more optimistic view and reveals the other effects of the wildfires. She focuses on the self-rejuvenating aspect of nature and shows us that despite the destructive forces of wildfires, they occur naturally and provide certain benefits for ecological balance.
"In California we now live through an annual season of wildfires and destruction toward the end of summer and the early fall; the impact of this destruction is now counted in the millions. Year after year, California seems to be breaking its own record for land destroyed and people and animals displaced. It is no secret that these cyclical disasters fatigue us. We can grow tired of reading about the negative news and exhausted from the feeling of helplessness that comes from not being able to do anything to stop the fire. In order to combat this fatigue, we explored a new method - one that places these disasters directly in front of us, where we can see their effects and the havoc that they wreak on our ecosystem. The key, though, is to pair this with a narrative of optimism that follows. After every wildfire, the land settles. The ash becomes fertile and plants and organisms begin to grow. Little by little, you can watch an ecosystem grow more lush and alive than it was before. The land is resilient, which is a lesson we can learn from.
The film was presented in collaboration with PROWL STUDIO in ALCOVA Milano during Milan Design Week 2022. This narrative is manifested in 3 mediums - animation projections, Graphic 3D knit upholstery, and biomaterial.
