Client: LAND-SHAPE Denmark

Location: Hobro, Denmark

Completion date: 2016

Artwork budget: $15,250

Project Team

Artist

Alastair Noble

Mr

Artist

Kathy A. Bruce

Overview

This land art project for Land-shape is located on the grounds of the Gasmuseet, Hobro. It is inspired by the poem “alphabet 1981 by Inger Christensen, a native of the North Jutland, Denmark. This poem “alphabet” reflects on themes related to the natural environment in the shadow and threat of man-made threats.The excerpt from the poem,“og grenenes eneste tegning,” (and the lone drawing made by the branches) is fashioned from twisted branches of willow flowing along a rising mound that traces a Fibonacci Spiral about 40 metres long rising from ground level to about 1.25metres at the centre.

Goals

The goal was to tranpose a poetic text from a local poet from Upper Jutland into a land art project for the community. The excerpt chosen from "alaphabet" echoes the actual built structure and the spiral not only refers to the form of the poem but the circular antique gas tanks flanking the museum site. Additionally the content of the poem juxaposes the natural environment with the ominous images of technology, thus the installation location was very important.

Process

Artist team Alastair Noble (UK) and Kathy Bruce (USA) both based in New York City collaborated on this project. They often work together on large-scale environmental projects that are a response to architecture and the natural environment they reflect on particular sites in the context of poetry, literature and the mythology. This project was conceived in response to an international call for environmental land artworks for the Upper Jutland area of Denmark by the Land-Shape project. Director of this organization proposed our project to various townships in the Upper Jutland area and Hobro chose our project for 2016 to correspond to annual arts festive they hold in August. The director of the GASmuseet coordinated our project on the museum site before and during its installation. Members of the community including a local school group assisted with the installation.

Additional Information

This was very sucessful many local residents came to visit the site during our installation and we understand from the director of the museum it continues to garner considerable attention by visitors. Additionally the translator of the Danish poem into English Susanna Nied wrote a wonderful commentary about the project indicating how well our project complements the poem.