Master's Thesis

Re-belonging

Final Thesis 6.26 MB

Author of thesis: BA Eleonora Cavallini

Acad. year: 2025/2026

Supervisor: Mgr. et MgA. Martin Žák

Reviewer: Mgr. et MgA. Barbora Lungová

Abstract:

This project Re-belonging explores conditions of belonging, displacement, and reconnection through an interdisciplinary approach, articulated from a personal and feminist perspective. Rooted in the experience of living between Italy and the Czech Republic, it examines the psychological state of inhabiting ‘in-between’ spaces, where identity is continuously negotiated and a stable sense of home remains elusive. This condition reflects a broader reality of contemporary globalised society, in which mobility often generates forms of emotional and spatial disorientation.
Central to the project is the proposition that Nature may function as both a psychological and lived site of re-belonging. Approached as a relational female presence rather than a passive landscape, She becomes an interlocutor with whom a dialogue can be established.
This investigation began last year with the installation Hortus Ăpertus: Brno, a medicinal garden conceived both as a personal and communal gesture, and continues this year through the photographic series A body beside Hers. Within the work I position myself as a co-protagonist with Nature, establishing a relationship of coexistence, shaping my figure in response to her forms. The interaction between my body and the surrounding environment, as well as the process of producing the final image, becomes a means of negotiating belonging and processing displacement.
The project explores the idea of belonging as a fluid, relational condition—one that emerges through meaningful connections between the body, the inner self, and the environments they inhabit.

Keywords:

Feminist knowledge, Belonging, Natural elements, In-betweenness, Reconnection, Mixed media installation, Photography, Embroidery

Date of defence

22.05.2026

Result of the defence

Defended (thesis was successfully defended)

znamkaCznamka

Grading

C

Process of defence

Obhajoba studentky se odehrála venku, v Denisových sadech nedaleko fakulty. Studentka začala vysvětlením pozadí své práce: instalace fotografií vytištěných na lněném plátně, doplněná ruční výšivkou, popisující téma „přírody jako ženy“ a zdůrazňující ženské aspekty přírodního prostředí, které je narušeno lidskou (antropogenní) přítomností. M. Žák přečetl posudek vedoucího, v němž zdůraznil autorčinu potřebu „zapadnout“, kterou pociťuje jako zahraniční studentka z Itálie v České republice. Oponentský posudek B. Lungové otevřel několik otázek k diskusi, které konfrontovaly autorku s koherencí jejího přístupu. D. Alster nesouhlasila s tvrzením studentky, že italská a jiho-moravská příroda jsou si podobné a že „nedotčená příroda neexistuje“. I. Rumanová vnesla do diskuse tvrzení, že pokud jde o potřebu „splynout s přírodou“, jsme předurčeni k neúspěchu. H. Alt komentoval zvolenou estetiku celého projektu, která zbytečně zplošťuje a generalizuje. Zároveň doporučil zvážit větší formát fotografií, který tisková technika umožňuje. Porota komentovala zvolený formát „galerie v přírodě“. Ten při bližším pohledu působí spíše jako laciná napodobenina obrazových replik, které médium fotografie evokuje. Studentka reagovala, že tisk zkoušela i na jiné materiály, například papír a dřevo, ale len jí přišel nejvhodnější. Závěr diskuse se týkal problematik spojených s pojmy jako mimikry, inscenované přírody či inscenované fotografie. -- The student's defense took place outdoors, in the park Denisové sady near the faculty. The student began by explaining the background of her work: an installation of photographs printed on linen canvas, complemented by hand embroidery, exploring the theme of “nature as woman” and highlighting the feminine aspects of the natural environment, which is disrupted by anthropogenic presence. M. Žák read the supervisor’s review, in which he emphasized the author’s need to “fit in,” as she feels as a foreign student from Italy in the Czech Republic. B. Lungová’s opponent’s review raised several questions for discussion that challenged the author on the coherence of her approach. D. Alster disagreed with the student’s assertion that Italian and South Moravian nature are similar and that “untouched nature does not exist.” I. Rumanová argued that, when it comes to the need to “blend in with nature,” we are predisposed to failure. H. Alt commented on the chosen aesthetic of the entire project, which unnecessarily flattens and generalises. At the same time, he recommended considering a larger format for the photographs, which the printing technique allows. The jury commented on the chosen format of an “outdoor gallery.” Upon closer inspection, it appears more like a cheap imitation of the pictorial reproductions that the medium of photography evokes. The student responded that she had also tried printing on other materials, such as paper and wood, but found linen to be the most suitable. The conclusion of the discussion addressed issues related to concepts such as mimicry, staged nature, and staged photography.

Language of thesis

English

Faculty

Fakulta výtvarných umění

Department

Fine Art and Design Studio

Study programme

Fine Art and Design (FAAD)

Composition of Committee

Mgr. et MgA. Kristína Jamrichová, Ph.D. (předseda)
MgA. Veronika Vlková (člen)
MgA. Lenka Veselá, M.A., Ph.D. (místopředseda)
Mgr. Jakub Bulvas Stejskal, Ph.D. (člen)
PhDr. Ivana Rumanová, Ph.D. (člen)
MgA. Darina Alster, Ph.D. (člen)
Hynek Alt (člen)

Supervisor’s report
Mgr. et MgA. Martin Žák

Grade proposed by supervisor: B

File inserted by supervisor Size
Posudek vedoucího magisterského projektu [.pdf] 120,82 kB

Reviewer’s report
Mgr. et MgA. Barbora Lungová

Grade proposed by reviewer: C

File inserted by the reviewer Size
oponenstký posudek [.pdf] 39,42 kB

Responsibility: Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Odstrčilová