CELIA SERRANO
artivist · composer · saxophonist · singer · facilitator
One of the things that struck me most during my residency and research was the transformation that Westerbork site has undergone over the years. A place that was once filled with horror now appears as a beautiful natural landscape. And yet, if you listen closely, you can still hear and feel what happened there, with the rustling of the leaves caressed by the breeze.
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Then these questions began to form in my mind:
What if we try to listen and observe what nature can tell us about the history of this place?
What if we look through its lens?
What can the land itself tell us about what happened here?​​​​
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With these questions in mind, my research became more focused, and the artistic concept began to take shape.
One of the key moments was an interview with Marjon, whose aunt Roosje Glaser survived both Westerbork and Auschwitz. I also made field recordings of the site, capturing the subtle presence of nature. I explored the archives—letters, diaries, and all kinds of objects belonging to those who once lived at Westerbork.
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The deeper I delved into the camp’s history and uncovered personal stories, facts, and moments, the more I began to notice connections between these individual narratives and the natural elements surrounding them. Over time, the concept began to shape itself organically, and this swarm of ideas and symbols I kept uncovering slowly unraveled, beginning to reveal a deeper sense of meaning.
