In the Film Searching for the Oracle – Python’s Gaze, the mythological serpent Python—once guardian of Gaea’s oracles at Delphi before being slain by Apollo—”returns” to contemporary Greece, gliding through its landscapes. Rooted in recent research from Delphi’s geomythological archives and positioned at the intersection of choreography, visual art, and speculative fiction, this 23-minute film offers a meditative inquiry into one of Western civilization’s foundational myths. While the prophecies of Apollo’s oracle were carved in stone for future generations to read and remember, those of Gaea’s oracles remain unaccounted for. Set against the backdrop of the ongoing climate and ecological crisis, Searching for the Oracle – Python’s Gaze unfolds as a choreographic and cinematic reflection on an anthropocentric landscape—revealed, at times, as fragments and ruins. Original music composition and sound design are by renowned sound artist ILIOS.
The film is partially the outcome of the homonymous research and performance that took place in pi, the former Pikionis Pavilion, in Delphi on April 25, 2024, curated by Poka-Yio and Kika Kyriakakou. The film premiere is curated by Poka-Yio, with Melina Ntavia as project manager. The screening is made possible through collaboration with PCAI (Polygreen Culture & Art Initiative) and the Norwegian Embassy in Athens. A reception hosted by the Norwegian Embassy will follow the screening.
Searching for the Oracle – Python’s Gaze is part of Siljeholm’s PhD artistic research project, which investigates mountains and geological formations as entangled more-than-human entities—explored through the frameworks of geological temporality and spatiality.
More at: www.themountainbody.com
Credits
Written, Directed & Produced by: Helle Siljeholm
Co-director, Edits, Color & Design: Espen Haslene / Tundra*
Director of Photography: Fred Arne Wergeland
Composer / Sound Design: ILIOS
Co-creating Performers:
Marianne Kjærsund
Pernille Holden
Concept, Location & Research Consultants:
Poka-Yio
Dr. Kika Kyriakakou
Dimitris Kariofilis
Script Consultants:
Amal Issa
Øyvind Paasche
Bojana Cvejić
Marwa Arsanios
Costume Design: Poka-Yio
Supported By:
Fond for lyd og bilde , Arts Council Norway, Program for Artistic Research, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norwegian Embassy in Athens
Photo: Still image, Helle Siljeholmon, Searching for the Oracle – Python’s Gaze, 2025
Activity aligned with Goals 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 16, 17
