“Take me to the river” by Photographer Kseniya Apresian

A project documenting intentional communities by photographer Kseniya Apresian. Inspired by her own feelings of loneliness, disconnection, and isolation within modern society, Apresian began to think deeply about alternative ways of living. Zegg is a German community project with 100 members and a 32-year history. The main focus at Zegg is fostering relationships and communication, and it’s just one of many intentional communities around the world. Apresian has also spent time with another, smaller community in northeast Italy, called Gaia Terra which has 7 members and hosts up to 30 volunteers. Fully dedicated to leaving zero ecological footprint and using bio-alternatives, Gaia Terra maintains a strictly vegan diet sourced from their garden and fair trade shops:

“In a world facing climate crisis, wars, poverty, and overconsumption, intentional communities offer hope. Research shows that people who live in intentional communities have a quality of life as high as the happiest people in society. This project is ongoing – I plan to visit more communities in Europe to answer the question: is community living a utopia or a viable model for our society?”