Tent

Veljko

09.09.2014

We were camping, the two of us, in a tent fixed to the ground and to four young olive trees, just big enough to have their branches touch above the centre of the tent. In front of us a garden, and then bushes.

Apart from the toilet+shower building at the edge of the grove, where we also washed dishes and ourselves, we lived equally in the tent, under the olive and pine trees, and on the rock shelves next to the sea. But the deepest sensation of home lived in front of the tent and in it - that was our courtyard and house.

In the courtyard, we cooked on the micro stove and dined, hung out with chicken, ducks, ants and crickets, and meditated. In the house, we could be naked and keep our things dry and safe: food, clothes, cooking utensils, hygienic items, things of joy (e.g. books), communication devices and backpacks we used to bring all of it there.

In plan, our house we a mere 2,10x2,30m at the base of it pyramid, with thin double walls: The inner net protected us from insects, and the outer from the rain and wind which did indeed fall upon us. Between them, a layer of air in eternal updraft kept us fresh.

The courtyard was the living space. Its corner pillars were living olive trees. The roof - their crowns. The paving - a thick rustling layer of dry olive leaves on the ground. The clock - sun, light and darkness... We took the house away with us without leaving a trace of it, and we used to spend time in it only when we wanted to be in an enclosed space because we were more satisfied or comfortable that way.

And so I thought... that is minimalism. The state of consciousness where one is extremely pleased to keep to the minimum the elements of the world which one keeps for themselves.

It was great to keep to the minimum the elements making up my living space because it helped me to experience each of them more deeply, use them more creatively and intensely, and to cherish them more. I didn't hide them like a thousand things inside unconspicuous built-in cabinets in an empty living room of a minimalist style. Actually, I comprehended that which I long suspected: Minimalist style is the exact opposite of minimalism. Because one uses it to hide everything and weaken the interaction with the world around them, while one uses minimalism to strengthen the interactions and get rid of everything that doesn't contribute to them.

It is not a matter of how things look.