INTERFACE
Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
REVIEW
East Meets West
Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World,
Haldon Belvedere, Exeter
14 August – 30 October
Reviewed by: Gabrielle Hoad
Dragged from the forest to the manicured lawns of Haldon Belvedere, a broken beech branch takes on new life as a kayagum: a Korean stringed instrument. Artist Seung-hyun Ko has hollowed out this six-metre limb and strung it with fishing line, tensioned with ropes and wooden pegs. When plucked, the instrument vibrates from stump to tip with an eerie physicality, emitting delicate sounds that respond to the birdsong, the buzz of insects and the wind in the trees. Constructed entirely from locally sourced materials, but rooted in a 2,000-year-old tradition from another culture, it both connects with its Devon location and remains defiantly separate from it.
A few paces into the nearby woods, Anke Mellin has built an enclosed seat from which to observe the surrounding countryside. Though working at a site renowned for its scenic outlook, the artist invites users to look closer at hand by placing her bench in a place where the view is obscured. Simply constructed from beechwood thinnings and twine, and planted with honeysuckle, the structure will become an overgrown and intimate space for contemplation, first covered, then ultimately destroyed, by encroaching vegetation.
By diverting attention from Haldon’s famous panorama, both artists gently challenge notions of nature as picturesque. Instead of passively gazing on a distant scene, you’re encouraged to interact with your immediate surroundings. It’s a timely reminder that human beings aren’t just observers (and consumers) of nature: we are an integral part of it.
Kicking off a series of residencies in the Haldon area, these two works mark a turning point for the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World. After a ten-year search for a suitable site, the centre is now creating its own project area, which will continue to host artists and events exploring our changing relationship with nature.
Writer detail:
Gabrielle Hoad is based in Exeter, where she is studying Fine Art at the University of Plymouth. gabby_hoad@hotmail.com
art@gabriellehoad.co.uk |
www.gabriellehoad.co.uk
Venue detail:
Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World
Haldon Forest Park, Exeter, Devon EX6 7XR
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