Whispers of the Primeval Forest is a research project by Ligia Popławska, developed within the Art & Ecology research group of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (2024–2026). This project explores the history, present, and speculative futures of the Białowieża Primeval Forest (Puszcza Białowieska), a natural treasure and Europe’s last ancient forest, estimated to be 12,000 years old. Situated on the Polish-Belarusian border, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary biodiversity, where natural processes are strictly protected. It is home to European bison, lynx, wolves, mushrooms with healing properties, and many rare and endangered species. Since 2021, the Białowieża Forest has found itself at the heart of the migration crisis unfolding along the Poland–Belarus border. To prevent migrant crossings, a 180-kilometer-long, 5-meter-high barrier was constructed, cutting through the forest, fragmenting habitats, and encroaching on the strictly protected zone of Białowieża National Park.
In what way can we narrate stories concerning emerging environmental issues that empower the more-than-human species? What does the Białowieża Primeval Forest whisper? How does it sense and adapt to human-induced changes? What stories, tales and secrets about the Białowieża Primeval Forest resonate within the local inhabitants and “whisperers” (healers)?
The focus of my research is to understand and map the various phenomena currently taking place in the forest, to listen to and reflect on the multiple stories it carries - some thrilling, and some magical. While rooted in scientific facts as points of reference, my research embraces speculation, magical thinking, and mysticism, which are deeply tied to the cultural history of the Podlasie region—where Eastern Orthodox traditions intertwine with Slavic pagan beliefs and rituals. Through a photographic narrative and field sound recordings, I am mapping the diverse phenomena of this primeval forest, interpreting it as a living network of senses. By collecting archival materials, interviewing local scientists and whisperers (healers, witches), drawing on the writings of biologist Simona Kossak, and weaving in threads of Slavic mythology, the project explores and reflects on the hidden mysteries of the Białowieża Forest.
The project is currently being developed in collaboration with scientists from Białowieża Geobotanical Station (University of Warsaw), Białowieża Forest Research Institute and Mammal Research Institute (Polish Academy of Sciences).
Link to Antwerp Research website︎︎︎
