WE SAFEGUARD 3 HECTARES OF NATIVE FOREST.
We develop a model of protection of the territory through the art programs that we carry out in nature. A revolution that from creation seeks to make visible and act on the environmental crisis, the valuation of the land and the construction of alternatives from our field of expertise which is art and culture, always in interrelation with the network of action and local activism.
MONTE is an art residency located in Colonia Benítez, Chaco, Argentina, founded and directed by the sound artist Juan Sorrentino and co-directed by curator Camila Pose. It is dedicated to artists, curators, and researchers whose works are linked to nature, acoustic ecology, the study of landscape, and the implications of environmental impact in all its dimensions. In 2015, MONTE acquired 3 hectares of native forest from Colonia Benítez, the botanical capital of Chaco, with the aim of protecting and conserving them through the cultural actions that derive from artistic residencies. MONTE is surrounded by Los Chaguares Nature Reserve, one of the main bird watching centers in Argentina; the Tragadero River, one of the few unpolluted rivers in the region with a wide variety of native flora and fauna; and groups of environmentalists in dialogue with the residence. Taking into account the growth of real estate speculation, the exploitation of natural resources and the ferocious clearing that threatens the environment, MONTE presents itself as a platform for activism through art, environmental preservation and thoughtful research.
THE FIRST ACTION
The inaugural project, 'In the Monte, One Is Never Alone', by Juan Sorrentino, set the tone for MONTE's focus on acoustic ecology and minimal intervention in the territory. As the first action to take place in the native forest, the artist opened a trail with the intention of creating minimal impact. This path became the origin of a spiral formation, a guiding structure for future projects. Following the sounds of the forest and decaying tree trunks, Sorrentino identified natural listening points and marked them along the way. He installed five sound and mechanical pieces, each contributing to a unique soundscape—like a musical composition spread across the landscape. These installations balanced the audible spectrum, from white noise to sharp, dissonant tones.
For the community presentation, visitors entered the forest in silent groups of ten, one per hour, moving through the trail in tranquility and solitude. At the conclusion of the performative action, parts of the installations were intentionally left behind—meant to be reclaimed by the floods and the rhythm of the forest, slowly transforming into organic ruins.
This poetic gesture marked the beginning of MONTE as a residency—anchored in listening, respectful interaction with nature, and art as an ecological practice.
PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC ECOLOGIES
The evolution of our environment is inherently connected to the evolution of our perception and listening skills. Our personal development is intricately linked to the changes occurring in the world around us. This perspective suggests that by cultivating a heightened sense of attentive listening, we have the capacity to exert a positive influence on the cycle, ultimately instigating systemic transformations within our environment. During their stay, artists immerse themselves in the native forest environment, where they develop their projects while engaging in a meaningful dialogue with site-specific works crafted by previous residents. This collaborative process encompasses a dynamic interplay of actions and gestures, which respond to the ever-changing climate and the unique conditions of the territory, all under the auspice of infinite transformation.
MONTE provides both acommodation and a space immersed in nature, fostering research, creative development, and the production of artworks.
