Lillian Löhrer

On solastalgia

Out of nowhere, something is taken away from your familiar surroundings; something that makes your house no longer feel like home. A tree in front of the house is cut down, nature gives way to paving, and the bees and birds disappear. Changes like these, made to something once familiar, can create a profound sense of loss and may lead to solastalgia. The term solastalgia, introduced by Glenn Albrecht in 2003, describes a form of “unsoothable homesickness.” It arises from negative changes to one’s home environment, particularly those affecting nature. It is a longing for a place that no longer exists, even though you are still at home. Something essential is missing from your sense of home. This feeling of melancholy stems from the realisation that the environment in which you live has changed irrevocably.

At its core, it is a complex concept, yet it is something that many people experience. While most people are aware of climate change and its effects on their immediate surroundings, far less attention is given to the emotional consequences these environmental changes can have on our well-being.

With this project, I aim to make solastalgia visible and tangible. I want to draw attention to an emotion that an increasing number of people experience but often cannot put into words. I do this through a large snail shell that visitors can step inside. The shell is natural and organic in form. Within it, visitors can read poems that allude to solastalgia and the sensitivity of the subject. The installation also stimulates the senses through light, sound, and scent. The shell was once inhabited, but now it stands empty. It carries the story of a home; a house without a home.