Present Perfect

The film is called The Silence of the Mole (2026), a short work by Czech artist Jakub Jansa and the Slovak duo Selmeci Kocka Jusko (Alex Selmeci and Tomáš Kocka Jusko), shown in the Czech and Slovak Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale.

What the film is about

The film centers on an anthropomorphic mole man named Mr. M., who has played the fictional mole his entire life. The character is a culturally ubiquitous symbol of nostalgia. The film asks what happens to creativity when it is transformed into a tool of cultural representation. Through gorgeous cinematography, it captures moments of Mr. M.'s creative labor and his interactions with the world through his named superpower: unlimited empathy.

What "unlimited empathy" as a superpower means

The phrase operates on two levels simultaneously. On the surface it is a playful, childlike comic-book attribution — the mole character has a "superpower." But the film treats it seriously and critically at the same time:

Imagination — and with it empathy — is depicted as a kind of soft power: something intangible that exists in a legible space but must combat and negotiate its identity with the outside world. Mr. M.'s voice and movements no longer belong to him alone, but to the crowd that monitors his gestures and awaits the performance.

Empathy as "unlimited" is therefore not an uncomplicated gift. It also makes Mr. M. vulnerable and dependent on the expectations of others. The superpower is simultaneously a burden.

The political dimension

At one point in the film, Mr. M. asks "Will we be good today?" — to which the reverberating response comes: "No, no, no way." The question and answer seem aligned with the current geopolitical situation, in which leaders struggle to be "good today."

This is not incidental subtext. This year's Biennale is heavily politically charged: the prize jury resigned to protest the participation of Russia and Israel, and on May 8th the first cultural strike in the Biennale's history took place. In this context, empathy becomes a political statement — its absence in war-waging powers is implicitly set against the model of the mole.

The historical reference: the mole

The mole alludes to Krtek (Little Mole), the famous Czechoslovak animated character created by Zdeněk Miler in the 1950s — one of the best-known cultural exports of the socialist bloc, characterized by gentleness, curiosity, and peacefulness. Casting this figure as the bearer of "unlimited empathy" is a deliberate choice: it invokes collective memory and asks what remains of that legacy when creativity is instrumentalized.

The structural reference: Czech-Slovak reunification

The work marks the 100th anniversary of the pavilion — opened as the Czechoslovak pavilion in 1926 — and is the first joint presentation by the two countries in twenty years. The collaboration quietly suggests that the most enduring divisions are not those drawn on maps, but those we choose — through empathy or its absence — to uphold or dissolve.

Watching the moonrise over the forest at Meta Theater. It was extremely big and bright and magical. The next morning I talked to fox about it and he asked what message I received from the moon. I answered: It's in Scorpio anyway, it was a reminder to add more ritual and whimsy, to go deeper, to marvel at nature, to be more present and invite calm and wonder.

Watching the new The Devil Wears Prada movie on the first day it was released with Sash and Margit. My favourite scene was Lady Gaga's appearance. The only true icon in this movie, ne c'est past? I mean I love Meryl Streep, she's royalty, but she seems to have lost a little bit of her spark.

Having my picture taken with Horst Schlämmer (in front of a movie poster at the cinema).

Taking the bike to the forest with Lian to collect moss, twigs, wood and stones for the little pond in my garden. He had a lot of fun decorating the area around the basin with me and loved playing with the solar panel fountain and the hose. We're hoping for a tiny frog to move in now.

Our neighbours' dog died and I inherited his beautiful artsy blanket. What a treasure. We visited his grave and blew dandelion seeds over it while speaking a few wishes like eternal snackie supply and limitless energy to run around and play with his new friends in Dog Heaven.

Finni sat in my lap for the very first time. Ever. What a big step for this extra shy cat. I felt honored.

Long talks during Osteo/Physio with Barbara and Dan; driving to Ostermünchen afterwards for plant and antique shopping.

My first art therapy training weekend. Getting to know the women in my group, working closely with Nicole - we opened up and learned a lot about each other. Really good process. I also created a fascinating image about my current situation: a biotope, a pond, a garden, and a "foreign body" sitting right in the middle. So interesting to analyse it together.

My first meditation with Yoga Sepp. Breathtaking building, garden, atmosphere - his whole style is so me. I drew a card that night: "Self-Knowledge". So fitting for what's going on with me right now. Realise/accept who you truly are.

Phone calls with Aljoscha. And the lovely letter he sent me for my birthday, along with a deck of magical cat tarot cards.

The coaching session we had for our co-living community. Standing on different positions, talking about love languages, explaining ourselves, getting to know each other better. A real opening conversation.

Selling our old stuff at the flea market. Connecting with a few other vendors, talking to a lady about life and psychological development, drawing oracle cards together.

Strolling through Venice. Aperitivo. Savouring the little moments when the sun came out. Vaporetto rides during sunset.

The perfect concert venue with a whole glass wall facing the open water behind the palazzo. A jazz pianist, and Venice during sunset.

The Biennale. Interesting performances at the Austrian and Dutch pavilions / Vibing with natural, biomorphic art in the pavilions of the Nordic countries, Brazil, the USA, Morocco, India, and so many works in the big building at the Giardini. Such an inspiring experience again, but I was overwhelmed - I need to go through all my notes and photos and do some more deep diving, digging, research. /The big vegetable high bed in the middle of the Giardini. / Hanging out in the Greek pavilion which felt like an underground club; I felt at home immediately, and they had comfy bean bags.

Clothes shopping with C. at OVS. Italians really do have better style. I enjoy shopping for clothes in Spain and Italy because the colours are more vibrant, the materials more high quality, the details more interesting.

Connecting with strangers in Venice: That little Indian store where I bought a silk jacket with its lovely owner and her fat, salivating cat Ravi, who made adorable little noises when I pet him. / Talking to the young woman who runs a mask making workshop in a traditional Venetian mask store, admiring all her animal masks and design ideas. I especially liked the steampunk masks made from recycled plastic - I want to do this as a workshop at a burn, such a good idea. / Co-creating a little ink drawing (it turned out to be a fish in the end) with an older Venetian gentleman at the Icelandic pavilion. Talking in Spanish and German and English at the same time. / Connecting with two Swiss ladies over lunch, discussing art and politics, becoming friends for that short moment - we ran into them again at the Philippines pavilion the next day at the Arsenale and continued our conversation. / The weird vendor at the mosaic store in Murano who gave me a big, heartfelt birthday hug before I left.

Watching Mother Mary at the cinema. Spectacular, thought-provoking.

Making collages with paper scraps I brought back from Venice.

Realising I have my very own unique art style now. And it happened magically, without me actively working on it. And it is very fitting that biomorphic art was what I vibed with most at the Biennale. Organic, natural materials. So me. Seeing Manuel Mathieu's art as somehow my own - it expresses something inside of me. I was mesmerized standing in front of his large mixed media paintings. It touched something deep.

Reading Barbara Blaha's book Funkenschwestern on the way to and from Venice. It made me sad and angry, and was the reason for a long discussion with C.

Building a herb bed in the garden that looks a bit like a sunken boat.

The beautiful tree root Heidi gave me. A great birthday present - I love that she texts me whenever she finds interesting garden objects she doesn't need anymore.

Progress in my group therapy. Feeling more comfortable around each other, getting the conversation going.

I replaced my lava lamp's old light bulb with a stronger one and now the bubbles are dancing wildly!

A weekend getaway with Sash and Lena in Füssen. We actually made the trip to Hohenschwangau (the room with Agnes' paintings and Ludwig's bedroom were interesting!). Had good food and ice-cream, walked a lot, I found a marvellous flea market. The spa area was lovely - but the weather kept us mostly outside. Monday morning was my favouite: swimming in a small fish pond in the Valley of Senses.

The first meeting with my new art therapist. She has such an impressive studio and I love her vibe, her calm aura, her long copper-white hair, her green eyes.

A visit from Franziska to talk about the opening ceremony we are planning for Munich Micro Burn. I'm so excited by my Matrix analogy, it's gonna be so much fun! And I really want Franziska to be my friend. She's awesome.

Planning a ladies' night on the occasion of the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Perfectly ripe avocado and tomato slices on toasted hazelnut chia bread. With goat cheese!

I'm really good at guessing the year movies came out. My new party trick.

Training my algorithm to provide gardening content. Making an ambitious plan for this summer. Drawing a garden map in bed.

Cos brought us wild garlic and I made a really tasty butter from it! I also cut my thyme, lavender and rosemary bushes and put the cuttings into water jars. I hope they'll grow roots - free plants!

I relearned Backgammon. Good game, long forgotten.

Feeling emotional during my first Easter mass in over 25 years. I loved waiting for the light to enter the completely dark church. Lighting the candles, shaking a stranger's hand, singing together. It activated so many memories of the Easter traditions I had with my mum and grandma.

The first flea market of the season. I only bought things that are very much ME (a mustard yellow blanket, baskets and wooden bowls, homemade jam from my favourite granny vendor, a sedum plant, and a silk blouse).

I feel so accomplished and satisfied after finishing a big garden project like planting vegetables, building cold frames or a wall around the bean bed.

The cats hanging out with me when I'm working in the garden, hoping for some affection. Adorable.

Treating myself to my favourite pizza (Funghi with peperoni, black olives and artichokes) and Basilico's signature vegan salad. Delicious.

Aljoscha's visit. The first bike tour of the year on a beautifully sunny day, the first ice-cream cup of the season. Hanging out in the sauna together, taking selfies in front of vaguely homoerotic town signs. Eating at Padme Hum and going to the Roller Disco with Margit!

Watching videos from dance competitions.

Discovering a new antiques hall (with a scruffy-cute owner).

Learning about my grandma's Bukovina German heritage, leaning into unexplicable grief (which is not mine but it seems to be a loaded topic that I want to learn about more).

The stressful Expedit pickup with a lady who mirrored me - and made me step into my power. I became calm, safe, gave her some images about boundaries. It's so interesting to see how easily I switch to "therapist energy" as soon as there is someone who needs it.

My encaustic workshop - especially because I didn't stick to the rules and experimented.

Reuniting with Sonja and Franz on the first day of coaching training. And Helmut the cat.

Connecting with Tine when she helped me with the butterfly bush I got as a gift from Heidi.

Starting my coaching training. Getting feedback about how hard I am on myself – and how that bleeds into the way I treat others. There are so my issues with (self) respect and compassion... Curious to see where it takes me.

My reunion with C. after 3 weeks apart when he was in China and Taiwan.

Free plant cuttings from Resi and Sepp's garden. I call this "Granny-shopping" - finding older folks who want to downsize their garden and give away cheap plants and equipment. And I love getting to know the old ladies and staying for a little chat. I really miss my grandmas.

The hospice course. Helping, and the feeling that comes with it. Going deep within the first few hours of meeting a new group. Talking about death does that for you.

Fields of gold – dandelions everywhere.

My new signature rhubarb cake.

Celia's visit.

Sexy fantasies about my physiotherapist.

Starting the pond project.

Tetris on Gameboy Color and Capri Sun Cherry as meditation.

Meeting Tanja and Cos in the Sauna Wagon on Sunday evening.

Charlie who has started curling up into a ball to sleep (preferrably on the sheepskin in my balcony chair).

A whole garden full of snowdrops on the corner of our street.

C. cleaned the whole apartment and even brought two bouquets of flowers for me after I came back from the seminar kitchen.

Meeting my friends for board game night, preparing for a DnD session. I loved coming up with a character based on Dolly Parton and her song Jolene.

I loved singing along to Stand Up at the Surprise of Voices choir concert and watching Nathalie's amazing performance. And to see with how much positive energy and charm Pauline led through the evening.

Slowly getting back into getting-things-done mode. Planning trips with friends (I'd love to go to Borderland with Hanna and Ben). Working in the garden, decluttering, taking care of my inbox.

Cher's fabulous outfits in the musical version of her life (I saw the Cher Show at Deutsches Theater with Margit and Sash).

Ripping out the nasty weeds to make room for new bushes and plants.

Wrapping Lian's presents and decorating the table for his birthday breakfast. I made a balloon garland and even found some sparklers. We also baked chocolate muffins decorated with sprinkles and smarties!

The first butterflies fluttering through the air.

Planting bushes and nasturtium seeds; ripping out all the weeds and cutting back the trees.

Meeting my new book club for the first time!

A hot shower, snuggling up in bed, ordering pizza and watching a lovely Swedish movie about a famous conductor leading a choir in his old hometown (Wie im Himmel).

A spa weekend with Sash and Christian (Lena got ill). A little walking tour through Schärding, eating delicious Palatschinken at Café Blaas, running into my first fleamarket this year (I got a bag, a picture frame, a wooden ring holder and a black top). Revisiting a few places in Passau, stumbling upon an art exhibition at St. Anna chapel. I loved applying face and hair masks at the pool and hanging out in the steam room. On Sunday, we stopped in Altötting to see the black Madonna. Such a fascinating place.

Stopping in Haging to get some catkins from a booth. Finding free radish seeds - and a friendly orange cat!

Rereading Die Wand by Marlen Haushofer. I love the tone of that book. The calmness within the drama.

Baking Swedish cheesecake with almonds, cottage cheese and blueberries.

Meeting Margit at the garden center with the whole car full of wooden frames for my new vegetable garden. Cuddling the cat strolling around the plants. Taking home one of each I liked. Then we went to the cinema and it was unexpectedly lovely.

Playing a DnD one-shot as Jolene, my brand new character inspired by Dolly Parton.

My feelings are coming back. I am annoyed, and angry. Exhausted, and passionate. But I also notice that I tend to escape from reality more now. Playing Tetris for hours, eating sweets, smoking. I'm craving balance.

Seeing Sentimental Value at the cinema. I like Renate Reinsve's acting. Something about her reminds me of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The first time my head wasn't read as a tomato after Zumba class.

I was allowed to have five small fruit trees for free because the shop didn't have them in their system anymore!

Attending the presentation by a local on the plants and animals you can find in the nearby moor.

Seeing C. in a black shirt. It suits him so well!

Working on my vegetable beds! Constructing some scaffolding for my beans and peas.

Findus coming to cuddle when I was sitting on the floor building a tiny little flower bed fence.

My first evening alone when C. and L. left for China. So relaxing. I reactivated my Netflix account to watch Emily in Paris and had pizza in bed.

Besoming a little more social. Slowly warming up to the neighbours, bonding. Setting out baked goods for everyone. Bringing Franzi a tray full of veggie stew, fresh dill, sour cream and roasted potatoes when her kitchen was being renovated. Taking care of Paula when she had a little accident on the trampoline and was in pain. Making a paper crane for Annika.

Starting to train Claude AI as my personal assistant.

A video featuring girl dads teaching their daughters "dude stuff" (like using power tools, being a grill master, taking her to exotic places) so they won't be impressed by any old douchebag in the future. Really touching.

"Uns fehlt es hier an nichts," said C. the other day. We're not lacking anything where we live. And he is so right. We have a beautiful apartment, peace and quiet, loving neighbours and cats, each other. Even a sauna. The sun is slowly coming back now, too. I'm so glad I left the big city to come here.

Cosmic Breathwork and Movement Medicine with Jeanne and Tanja. I drew the card "Ermutigung/Encouragement" before the breathing and "Lebenslust/Joy of life" afterwards. "Fülle/Abundance" also found its way to me. I loved the warm tingles and body sensations the breathing gave me. I felt so energized the next day.

Sunday evening sauna sessions with C. Lying down in the snow afterwards.

A little Imbolc ritual: stopping on the way home to collect some dry grass so I could make a Brigid cross. Sprinkling some salt under our door mats. That night, the moon was still almost full. Big and bright, hanging low on the clear sky.

Reading "Neun Tage Unendlichkeit" by Anke Evertz. It was as if something inside of me remembered. I feel so uplifted now, almost as if I'm on a higher frequency now. I even found a reason to mention the book in group therapy (and it was lovely, we kept talking about spiritiuality and death afterwards). Which inspired me to finally pick up the book my mother wrote for the first time. I guess I was ready. Because obviously what she describes is pretty much the same I found in the first book. We're magical, powerful beings made of love. Wow. So much of what I learned over the last few months is being confirmed.

I ALSO started reading my mum's spiritual novel. I was ready. And in essence, she says the same thing as Anke Evertz. I suspected as much. So it must all be true then?

Sitting outside in the warm sun, wearing my bathrobe after a shower, with my BFF Charlie on my lap. Exchanging love and cuddles.

The deer are back.

A free yoga class with Theresa. Summoning an extra soft cat afterwards. She even hopped into my car waiting for me to kidnap her.

Waking up Lian with a fox hand puppet and a back massage. He loved it so much he requested it for the next morning, too. I came back with soft, quiet music and a mischievous Mr. Fox. C. said that he loves my calming nature (I mean, ONE of my many modalities). And he knows that he and Lian's mother don't really radiate that wholesome, reassuring tranquility and he loves that his son gets to experience this through me now.

I signed up for a palliative care class. And holotropic breathwork.

High energy. Movement. Getting a good idea about what my body is lacking.

Cutting "crisp" paper with my favourite scissors.

The Miniaturist has such an interesting setting and beautiful aesthetics (The colours! The fabrics! The light!). I wish they would have turned it into a longer series.

Writing, copying inspirational texts. Learning. Collaging, designing pages.

Meeting some lovely women at the AKT art therapy seminar (Christiane, Nicole, Yvonne). Making a collage I am super pleased with, trusting in a very flowy, intuitive process. Understanding that my composition tells me something about being held, safety, ressources, and overstepping boundaries. Finding a dead little tree on Munich's streets. Taking it home to strip it and turn it into art.

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra's Soy Energía exhibition at Haus der Kunst. I loved the wax she used to coat some of her drawings and paintings and want to find out more about it. The dynamic rhythm of her pencil strokes and used of colour also pleased me.

Learning about Schüßler salts through a podcast on quantum health and being reminded again of my mother’s practice. I bought the twelve most important ones and want to learn more about them. I seem to be open to it now. In addition, I have been reading about Traditional Chinese Medicine and am fascinated by how well my symptoms are explained. Yin stagnation — obviously.

Reading Hekate by Nikita Gill gives me a very similar joy to when I read Piranesi (Susanna Clarke) or Circe (Madeline Miller).

Morning cuddles with gentle Findus. Humming in the dark. He must have enjoyed it as he cleaned my arm as if to thank me.

Stumbling upon an interesting artist: Heimrad Prem.

The first bees are already buzzing through the air! Spring is close! There were so many outside a plant store I visited after Pilates class.

One of the storks that lives in the nearby field returned from the south first, and for a moment I was worried it might be alone. But yesterday the second one arrived as well. They frequently return to the same nest each year and often reunite with the same mate, as long as both survive and arrive around the same time.

The few minutes of warm golden light before sunset recently, even on stormy days.

Feeling creative and euphoric with one of my Doctor ABC orders.

The cashier who ran after me to bring me the items I'd forgotten at the checkout.

Baking cinnamon buns with apple jam. Going to the climbing gym with Sophia, Lian and Marcus. Meeting Frank there. Only climbing up the easy routes to take care of my shoulder.

An evening alone with C. on Valentine's Day.

Wearing a fresh shirt smelling of fabric softener after a stinky kitchen shift.

Writing with purple multichrome glitter ink in bright light.

Cooking in a well-stocked kitchen really fires my creativity! I love this feeling of abundance and unlimited potential.

The seminar group Ben and I were cooking for spontaneously applauded us one evening because our food was so tasty! Made me happy and proud.

And yeah, this cooking week has been such a good experience! The work was fun, bonding with Ben was awesome... I might have to offer my services as a seminar cook soon.

Breakfast conversation with Ben: bringing up the idea to offer a class on something I want to get better at myself so I'm forced to work on it. Soft pressure and accountability. I also loved what he said about his time as a personal trainer for obese people: I don't want you to shrink, I want you to grow internally. And that makes so much sense to me. Also, he looked at me one afternoon and said he'd love me to be the cool friend who takes him to a Flinta party. I felt a little flattered.

Turning leftover oatmeal into soft bake oat cookies with chocolate chunks and almonds.