In First Encounter, Marielle depicts a landscape full of the sensations of the first time, through her initial encounter with the Australian bush. She is transported to a land she is still discovering, yet one that seems eager to impart its (hi)story to her, however beautiful and painful it may be. Throughout this quest, the artist explores an unfamiliar terrain, transcending the boundaries between the conscious and the subconscious. Engaging with themes of dislocation and discovery, the art video aims to evoke a visceral response, allowing to feel the weight of solitude and the richness of new beginnings. “The experience of exile, especially when voluntary, is as unsettling as it is enriching. We lose our visual, psychological, and physical bearings, breathing in a different air. It is through a renewed perspective and a unique solitude that we uncover profound truths buried deep within ourselves. And nature, in its vastness, immediately immerses us in a new sphere where everything is true, wild, elegant, arid, or abundant. It is from all these sensations that poetics come to life.” Marielle Gonier