Supernatural

“Arcadia is a pastoral paradise found only in poetic fantasy. It is always on our minds but just beyond our grasp.”

During an intensive two-week programme of lectures, discussions and workshops we focused on the question, what a modern day Arcadia entails. The resulting installation is placed in the valley of Pirtsupite near the Latvian town Cesis. Intense material research and prototype building lead to the design of a series of delicate spatial structures: a collection of land art objects that play with the physical properties of wind and water.

Through the use of contrasting and highly artificial materials the boundaries between natural, unnatural and supernatural are blurred. The installation invites the visitor to decode the obvious and hidden qualities of the site and access one’s personal Arcadia.

After a long process of material research and prototype building a series of delicate spatial structures were designed, built and set up collectively.

The water installation is a pointed, shiny object that lures the visitor deeper into the wilderness. The reflecting surface makes the object seem to merge with its surrounding. Stepping inside, it invites to sit down and listen to the sounds of water and nature.

The wind installation reminds on the Latvian legend of flying lakes looking for a place to land. The waving motions contrast and therefore emphasize the exuberant nature of the Pirtsupite Valley and close the triangle between natural, unnatural and supernatural.