SECOND INTERNATIONAL LAND ART BIENNALE opened yesterday. "Land Art Biennale trumpets call to restore nature" Plettenberg Bay. The second International Land Art Biennale was opened with the deep sound of an elephant’s trumpeting outside Plettenberg Bay on Sunday, 11 August. This came as world renowned artist Strijdom van der Merwe’s work titled Calling the Herd was unveiled at the junction of the R339 and R340 outside Plett during the launch of the event. Revealing what inspired him to make the interactive work consisting of trumpet-like funnels coming together to form a tree, Van der Merwe said: “This is a holy place where elephants used to walk. I would like them to return to this place so I made something to invite them to come back.” The elephant trunks sounded very similar to the call of the animals as the artists and community members attending the launch blew the ‘trumpets’ with the help of mouthpieces in the tree trunk. The artist explained that he combined the elephant trunks with trees as trees contain the history of an area and are able to “spread the word” by communicating with each other. “The name of the work is Calling the Herd as we are calling the elephants to come and walk a (migration) route they once tread,” he said. Land Art works are generally made of natural materials, but Strijdom felt it best to manufacture his work from steel. Representative of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative Joan Beringer said the organisation requested Strijdom, an internationally accomplished artist, to make a permanent Land Art work for this junction on the Prince Alfred pass as the group is establishing a land art exhibition route. The first permanent Land Art work – Aartmoeders by Simon Max Bannister -- is situated in Kranshoek, along the Robberg Coastal Corridor. Interestingly, this work represents three elephants which are called to return to their former route by Van der Merwe’s work. Beringer said the art works help raise awareness of biodiversity because they serve as central focus points for local visitors and tourists. The works lure people to beautiful areas and compel them to not only view the art but also take in the natural surroundings. This year’s event includes international artists Cornelia Konrads from Germany, Wongil Jeon from South Korea and prominent South African artists such as Walter Oltmann, Blessing Ngobeni, Wilma Cruise and Marcus Neustetter. The event culminates in the unveiling of the art installations by minister Alan Winde on Saturday, 17 August. For more information, please visit facebook/sitespecific.landart or sitespecific.org.za.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:55:48 +0000
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