Petra Lindholm’s film Open Heart Open Mind emerges from an ongoing investigation into how we relate to the planet as a sentient presence rather than a distant object. During the pandemic, Petra Lindholm trained as a hypnotherapist and began to work with hypnosis as a tool for dialogue — both with individuals and, through them, with the Earth itself. In a series of sessions, participants were invited to enter a receptive state and explore whether the planet had anything to express. Fragments of language, images and impressions collected from these encounters became the foundation for the work.
The soundscape, composed by the artist, is an integral part of the work. Throughout the film, frequencies played on tuning forks are woven into the audio, creating subtle resonances that interact with both the images and the viewer. Music and sound are not an accompaniment but an equal layer, developed in parallel with the moving image. Together they form a space that is less about narration and more about presence.
At its centre is a simple proposition: that within each individual there is a constant — intact, luminous, resistant to disruption — and that maintaining a connection to this presence is possible even in times of instability. The work does not offer resolution; it offers a point of return.
Petra Lindholm is a visual artist who works primarily with video, sound, and textiles. She studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm from 1996 to 2001. In her video works, she explores the intimate relationship between image and sound, often weaving in her own voice and original compositions. Her art delves into themes of memory and the passage of time, creating poetic reflections on the ephemeral nature of experience. Lindholm’s work has been widely exhibited across the Nordic region, Europe, and the United States.