Kwan Ng 12/28/24 Kwan Ng 12/28/24

Robert Smithson, Broken Circle / Spiral Hill, 1971 - Drenthe, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

Located in a former sand quarry, this piece is really two separate ones, as its name implies. A Broken Circle and a Spiral Hill. The Broken Circle is a semi-circular jetty extending into the quarry lake, constructed from white and yellow sand. At its center lies a prominent glacial boulder, a nod to the region’s origin. Originally the jetty was above the water level, but today it is submerged (or at least it was when we were there). Spiral Hill sits adjacent, a conical mound with a spiraling path ascending to its summit. Intended to be a viewing platform at the top, it is now overgrown with bushes that make it more difficult to ascend, and certainly not very welcoming.

Like a lot of land art, it can make a bit more sense from an aerial view. From this vantage, you can see the spiral and broken circle designs better.

It is Robert Smithson’s only large-scale earthwork outside the United States. Originally commissioned as part of an exhibition, it was later pushed by the artist to be permanent. To let time take it and see how it is reclaimed by nature, just like the quarry it sits in has as well.

Travel

It sits about two hours northeast of Amsterdam or just a few minutes outside of Emmen near the border of Netherlands and Germany. It is only accessible by car, though I suppose if you just happened to be in Emmen, you could probably walk there.

Type in Broken Circle by Robert Smithson to find it on Google Maps. Or try this address to get you to the correct road (Oude Roswinkelerweg, 7814 RT Emmen, Netherlands). There is no dedicated parking, and the nearest road is unpaved, but we just parked nearby one other vehicle with space for a vehicle to pass around us if need be. The road is flat, and not particulary difficult, you wouldn’t need a high clearance or four wheel drive vehicle to get there. You’ll see a gap in the fence with a sign that says something about a danger of drowning in water. It’s well trodden and easy to pass through this thicket of trees.

Through the trees, you’ll appear on the other side about halfway up Spiral Hill. You can start the spiral ascent or walk down to the lake’s edge and Broken Circle. It’s free to visit, but there are no lights or facilities, so probably stick to daylight hours. It isn’t far from Emmen, so you can easily go there for food or restrooms.

Experience

We went at the end of the day (in July), after our Flevoland Land Art road trip. There was one other vehicle parked there. It looked like a family who had gone for a walk around the quarry lake, but otherwise we didn’t see anyone else around. There are a couple houses on the eastern banks, but it looks like you can walk around without crossing any private property. After observing it from a distance, we walked up the hill. It is rather precarious and not very welcoming to anyone to ascend it. Over time, a large thicket of branches has grown over it. The spiraling path is still clear, but due to the overgrowth, it has limited the width of the path to be quite narrow.

It is easy to not hug the hill since the branches are now taking up space, and with your outer foot, it is easy to miss the ground and step through the overgrowth and slip. You can’t really fall far, so I wouldn’t call it dangerous, but you certainly will get some scratches, scrapes, stains, or worse twist your ankle. I’d definitely recommend sturdy shoes, and dark pants, otherwise you’ll end up like us below.

When we were there, there were also a lot of slugs on the walk up. So, if you’re not a fan of those, keep an eye out. The path narrows and the brush gets thicker as you near the top. And the view isn’t particularly spectactular, so whenever you feel comfortable, you can turn around. It isn’t particularly high or rewarding. There were no traces of any other visitors having been up there in awhile.

Ther aren’t many rocks at this quarry, so don’t expect to be able to skip any acros the still lake.

Nearby Emmen is a town though, so make sure you go during regular hours if you want access to things. When we were there on a Monday evening, there were only a handful of restaurants opened. We ate at Pizzeria Sardegna, which was fine for food and the staff was friendly.

We stayed an hour south (because we were headed to Germany the next day and wanted to do less driving the next day) at Landgoed De Holtweijde. This was a beautiful hotel. We had a large spacious room, with a lovely private patio to sit out at dawn with pastries and coffee / tea. Watched the morning fog lift with cows in a nearby field.

A couple hours south is the Red Dot Design Museum in Dortmund, which was an amusing place to check out. An organization that just awards consumer products with good design, they collect a lot of things there in an old mining facility, and it’s a good break from the summer heat. They also insist you touch anything that isn’t behind glass. Mattos got into every tub she could find. There really isn’t much to do in Dortmund other than watch soccer. Essen has even less, but Two Eggs JianBing there is a quality meal. But hey, we went for the Euros, and it was a good time, with an amazing Orange Walk and some really great English lad chants.

Summary

If you happen to be in the area then stop on by and stretch your legs and wande rthrough. But given the current state of it, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit. Plus there isn’t a ton to do nearby. Your road trip time is better spent in Flevoland and their plentiful Land Art.

Sources

https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/broken-circle-spiral-hill

https://brokencircle.nl/home_english

Kwan Ng 11/25/24 Kwan Ng 11/25/24

Robert Morris, Observatory, 1977 - Flevoland, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

This is the fifth post of five Land Art Flevoland sites that we visited in July, 2024. (I’ve repeated the next two paragraphs for all five posts)

Flevoland is the twelfth and newest province of the Netherlands. It exists in the Zuiderzee / Lake IJssel (a shallow bay connected to the North Sea, which they somehow converted from a body of saltwater into fresh water now), and almost the entirety of the province was added in mainly two separate land reclamation projects or polders. The first was in 1942 and the larger second started in 1955 and was completed in 1968. Flevopolder (as this new island was called) is the world’s largest artificial island at around 1,500 square kilometers.

Land Art was in its hayday of the 1960s and 1970s. In conjunction with the opening of this new land, the planners decided to add some land art pieces to become a part of Flevoland. Thematically it makes a ton of sense. Both creating Land Art and the empoldering process share a strong connection to the Earth and transformation of the landscape. You could even say that reclaiming this island was an even grander land art project. They’ve added 10 land art pieces now, with the most recent being completed in 2018.

Observatory consists of two concentric earth circles with precise alignments to capture sunrises on the solstices and equinoxes. There is a stone marker in the center for the optimal viewing. It was designed to evoke connections with ancient megalithic structures like Stonehenge. There is a straight path through both circles from the west. Both circles are tall enough that your view you cannot see past, and most sound is limited as well. A rarity in the very flat Flevoland. The interior ring is walled with wood panels with three additional openings in the east to view gaps in the exterior ring.

The exterior ring contains "frames” made of Bavarian granite for the summer and winter solstice sunrises. There is one protusion in the exterior ring that has a steel “frame” for the spring and autumn equinox sunrises (which never occurred to me would be the same place, but I suppose that makes sense). These “frames” for lack of a better term are basically shaped like the letter V, so the sun at sunrise will peak over the horizon directly at the base of the V.

The entrance through the exterior ring is a triangle, inverse from the three V’s in the east, its point is at the top. Though I can’t find any record of it, it’s possible that this means looking west at sunset on the equinoxes, that you may be able to see the sunset this way (if that’s how celestial events work). Also when you’re in the center, you can speak and the wood panels surrounding you create an echo.

The view from the center, the interior circle lined with wood, and the frames in the exterior circle seen through these gaps

Travel

It is a little less than a one hour drive from Amsterdam. It is only accessible by car, there is no public transportation options to this very random location outside of Lelystad.

Observatory sits right on the N307 highway. You can hear it at points and see it from certain vantage points. However, it is not actually at an egress to that highway, so you’ll have to exit a couple miles to the east or west of it, then travel on local roads to find your way there. Typing in Observatorium Robert Morris on your GPS should work fine, though it may suggest you park on Swifterringweg, which you shouldn’t do, there’s a separate side road you should park on that is closer to access Observatory and quieter.

We parked at the end of the side road, right by the entrance to Observatory. The road is well paved and it was completely empty when we visited. The walk is just a few hundred feet. The oath is paved and flat. No issues for any accessibility handicapped people, nless you want to climb a rampart and get a view from above.

There are no facilities here. There is an informational plaque at the start. It is very close to Lelystad, so you can probably find restrooms and restaurants there. It is free and there are no lights, so I would stick to daylight hours. Though, since dawn and dusk are the recommended visiting times, I’m sure it isn’t odd to be there in the dark.

Experience

This was our fifth and final stop of our July day, arriving at around 5 pm. We were the only people there for the half hour we wandered the installation.

While it’s certainly nice to have the space to ourselves, on a repeat visit, I would make an attempt for sunrise. Even if it’s not on the correct day for the perfect angle (which I believe they host events on said days anyway) it would be worth seeing it. Though, given Dutch weather patterns, it is often overcast / rainy randomly. In the interview, they estimated of the 38 times they’ve held events there (unclear if it’s only for the summer solstice, but that would be my guess), a clean sunrise has only happened 8 times. 20-25% success rate. So keep that in mind if you do attempt a sunrise view.

Because it’s quiet and all ours, we could test the echoes from the center and run around the space with no judgement.

Outside of the main path, the rest of the space is mildly maintained, so there are holes and uneven grass. Be careful or you could twist an ankle (especially if you’re running between the viewpoints to try and get into a panorama shot).

As you can see it was cloudy, and not near dawn, so much of the solar interaction was lost on us. It’s a cool idea, but probably benefits from some solar interaction, since that’s its main natural aspect it interacts with. Below is the official Land Art Flevoland playlist for your experience.

Summary

If you happen to be able to see this around sunrise, then go for it, but I may suggest skipping it if you don’t have clear skies and sun to really get that interaction going.

Podcast / Interview

This is a link to Land Art Flevoland’s podcast / interview about Exposure. It is unfortunately in Dutch only. But I did put it through a transcriber (notta) and translator (Google). I apologize to the original content creators, I had to edit and bridge some gaps, but hey, I don’t speak Dutch, and I just wanted to share their content with more people. Hopefully they don’t mind. Below is the badly transcribed, translated to English, and edited interview transcript. Also, around the 11th minute, the guest Thom Ummels, does a reading from a poet, worth listening to in the original Dutch.

Luke Heezen: Observatory by the American Robert Morris was the first foreign landscape artwork in Flevoland in 1977. It is reminiscent of prehistoric ritual places such as Stonehenge. On an empty lawn you see two walls of pushed up earth. Two perfect circles that have the same center. The inner one with a diameter of about 15 meters and the outer ring around it with a distance of about 8 meters in between. As a visitor you first walk through the entrance of the outer wall and then through the inner one. If you stand right in the middle, the sound will reflect back to you in a special way. And from that position, the observatory draws attention to the course of the seasons. From that center, you can see three shaped recesses in the ramparts. In the middle one, you can see the sun rise on the days that autumn and spring begin when day and night are exactly the same length (the equinoxes). In the left recess you see the sunrise on the longest day (summer solstice) which is usually June 21st. In the right recess you see the sunrise when winter begins and the longest night has arrived (winter solstice). For example, Morris places a century-old system that makes you aware of the changing season on a very young kilant [?] near Lelystad.

A festival is held on that piece of land every year, at least if the country is not plagued by corona, like this year. I talk about it with Thom Ummels, poet and co-founder of the Sensation festival. Thom, welcome. Thom Ummels: Good day.

Luke: A bit unfortunate now of course.

Thom: Yes, special circumstances for everyone, but also for Sensation of course, because we are used to organizing that festival at the beginning of the summer and we have hoped for a long time that it would be possible, because it is outside and because we do not work with thousands of people, but we are subject to the measure and we have therefore of course decided not to let it go ahead.

Luke: What does the festival normally entail?

Thom: Yes, you had a nice introduction about the observatory. Nice to hear that again in a compact way of what that observatory entails. I could also try to do that about Sensation, but then I would need a lot of time. But I will mention a few main elements. The festival is, so to speak, the lifeblood of the festival is the province [land / county?]. It floats on the province, but we have all kinds of other elements, so to speak. And those are music, theatre, dance, singing, all kinds of other visual arts, other artistic expressions. That are draped around that province.

Luke: And how long does the festival last?

Thom: The festival is a unique festival and we call that a lot of people. But we can make that happen, because it is at a unique time, at least for a lot of people. It's five o'clock tomorrow, because it's about sunrise. And that's around 5:17 AM, usually. If you see it rise, but the sun always rises, but not always visible, I always say. Then it starts and it ends nine thirty, sometimes a little bit longer. So it's in the morning at a very early hour. But we've also started on Friday evenings since a few years ago. So the prelude after Saturday morning, the prelude to the festival, the main element, that is on Friday night. So actually we now have Friday night and Saturday morning.

Luke: And you just said, when that sun is visible, when it rises, what kind of scenarios have you seen over the years?

Thom: Yes, I have actually built up a kind of meteorological experience over the years, because the sun, I think, has risen visibly. We have had 38 editions now. I think eight times, nine times maybe, at the moment, the moment Supreme, 5:17 AM or so, it rose visibly. So yes, thirty times not. So yes, actually it is the beginning of summer, is often a bit foggy in the morning, a bit cloudy. We also had a lot of rain there. Yes, no snow, but all kinds of wind, a lot of wind too. So the special weather conditions play a role, but also beautiful weather. And what you often see, and that is always a beautiful experience, that the sun does rise later. As if the sun plays with, well, you organize it, but I will not come up visibly at 5:17, well at 6:12 or at 9:01, and then it comes up visibly. And then yes, we will create a euphoria among the visitors, because that is of course what everything is actually aimed at.

Luke: It is very, in contact with nature I imagine. You are indeed exposed to all the elements, the seasons are in the work. How would you describe the atmosphere?

Thom: I am of course a fan, not only founder, but I am also completely in that atmosphere and I try to convey that. And I also notice that that is the case, because I always say, if you come to Sensation once, then the desire for a pickup [?] is so great that you keep coming back.

Luke: And what is that atmosphere then on freedom?

Thom: The atmosphere is of course personal, but I think that’s because it is in the middle of the wide landscape. That has changed over the years, but maybe more about that later. The wide polder landscape, that space. That observatory is placed in there, and that has to do with nature, with the sun, with the changing of the seasons. That is already a very time-bound element, which leads to reflection. Certainly if you are there alone, but also with several people, that is the case. And that connection with the wide polder landscape, nature, the open air, the changing of the seasons, the time element that is in it, that makes it very special, and that gives a special feeling. A spiritual feeling is of course perhaps a bit of a cliché, but that is what it is really; mysticism, mystery, spirituality. Those are the three elements that come together in it.

Luke: That it is quite clever that on such a young piece of land you put a centuries-old system of solar measurement in there and that you get a kind of spiritually charged place as a result.

Thom: That is actually almost very remarkable, you might say, but on the other hand you can also see that the polder landscape, that new land, can also bring with it very special elements and experiences. And many people don't know that, because we actually started it from, let's say, the activities in the city. There was very little to do in Lelystad at that time, we're talking about 1982. We wanted a special festival, linked to a special place, well that came together, but it has also increasingly become a promotional event. A promotion of the area, that's how you can also see it, that people come from outside and experience how beautiful the polder landscape is.

Luke: Yes, because who actually comes there? When you say a spiritual place, I also see people who are into nature religions or something. Are they among the visitors?

Thom: That is a very limited part, I think those people mainly come from outside to the event. Because you must not forget, we have the festival, but the observatory can of course be visited all year round. I am there myself often during the year, alone or with women or in the past with our children. That is actually how it came about and the experience alone or with a few people is of course also very big. And I think that those people in particular have more experience than during a festival, because there are a lot more people. There, all sorts of things are done on a stage and that is of course for the real die hard. And the whole precision is a bit distracting from the message you can actually get.

Luke: What is the best time to visit? What tip can you give your people?

Thom: That is the best moment to see that land art is not something for a small select group of weird and typical, but that it can also bring a lot to theater, to poetry, to culture, but also to cohesion. The atmosphere is also really great. If it was always like this in the world, there would be no war. There is a kind of peaceful, pacifying atmosphere and during that festival it is very strong.

Luke: Nice and if people want to go to the next months, because the festival is not taking place now. What are your time, advice, and weather condition recommendations?

Thom: Actually it is always beautiful, but in the morning it has of course certainly with some mist around that observatory, then it is very mysterious, mystical, but also towards the evening. So at the edges of the day I find, everyone can determine and experience it themselves at the edges of the day, then I find it the most beautiful actually. And yes, then I'm going to address everyone who is here now, stand on that stone in the middle of the observatory, on that stone and shout something, say something, say something more, make a heartfelt wish, whatever and shout it out loud, because then you have a very special effect, a special acoustic that you have much less with, when there are hundreds of people, but when you are alone or with a few people, then yes, that is fantastic.

Luke: Look, those are the tips we want to hear of course. Now there have been 38 editions of this festival. Many great Dutch poets, writers, Simon Vinkenoog, Jan Wolkers, Bartje Bodd, Ali B, also not a small boy from the neighborhood. But there is one poet who you think best suits the observatory, but who is that?

Thom: Yes, I think that would be Johan "Johnny" van Doorn, in the early years Johnny the Selfkicker, but later he became famous and remained famous, remained legendary. Johnny van Doorn is the man, the poet who fits very well, not to be short of others, but who fits very well with the observatory, with sunstation, because of the texts that they used. With Doorn the poem makki -stralen, radiant sun, which also literally of course has the connection with sunstation the observatory, but also in the construction, and certainly when he then presented that, which no one can improve and not equal either, then that is Johnny van Doorn, yes.

Luke: But I still want to hear him.

Thom: Yes, that is always difficult, isn't it, to delay that.

Luke: You have a suggestion, right?

Thom: I have the collection Johnny van Doorn with me here. And there is on one of the last pages, the poem Een Magistrale Stralende Zonn (The Masterful Radiant Sun). I'm going to start a little further into the poem, otherwise it would take too long.

And then it's knocking at a remote farm, that this old magician's long-sought teacher must be. Who on his way to the center he desires, will be his refuge in difficult hours. And when, after a grievous night's sleep, at the crowing of the cock, he turns his back on the house of his dreams, to continue his wanderings, so much has happened that in contrast to the night before, but he is filled with the new charge -life force, that makes him rejoice over the full of chirping birds, its nature that is illuminated in golden yellow, by a masterful radiant Sun. A masterful radiant Sun. A masterful radiant Sun.

Luke: Thom Ummels with the fantastic reading of Johnny van Doorn, Een Magistrale Stralende Zon. Thank you Thom, hopefully next year there will be another Sensation Festival. Number 39.

Thom: Very good, thank you.

Sources

Land Art Flevoland. “Robert Morris: Observatorium.” Land Art Flevoland. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/robert-morris-observatorium/.
Senses Atlas. “The Flevoland Observatorium.” Senses Atlas. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.sensesatlas.com/the-flevoland-observatorium/.
Socks Studio. “The Observatory by Robert Morris (1971).” Socks Studio. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://socks-studio.com/2014/10/29/the-observatory-by-robert-morris-1971/.
Flevo-landschap. “Observatorium Robert Morris.” Flevo-landschap. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.flevo-landschap.nl/gebied/observatorium-robert-morris.

Kwan Ng 11/22/24 Kwan Ng 11/22/24

Bob Gramsma, Riff, PD#18245, 2018 - Flevoland, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

This is the fourth post of five Land Art Flevoland sites that we visited in July, 2024. (I’ve repeated the next two paragraphs for all five posts)

Riff, PD#18245 was created by Bob Gramsma. It is hard to describe what it is, but essentially it is a concrete / soil fragmented monument with a flat top. Almost like an upside down mountain on stilts. It is both a sculpture and residual form. It is about 115 feet long, 39 feet wide, and 23 feet tall, weighing several hundred tons (it has not been accurately weighed). It has been described as a cross of a boat and a bridge.

The work, created in 2018, commemorates the centenary of the Zuiderzee Act of 1918, which contained three goals, protecting Central Netherlands from the North Sea, cultivate new agriculture to increase food supplies, and improve water management by creating a freshwater lake. This initiated the large-scale reclamation and transformation of the Zuiderzee into fertile polders and a freshwater lake. As we covered before, the island of Flevoland is one of these polders.

This artwork embodies the artificial and historical nature of the polder landscape by creating a physical imprint of its excavation process. Taking two years, it was constructed using unique techniques with assistance by WaltGalmarini (a civil engineering company out of Switzerland). 18 concrete piles were rammed into the ground. A steel structure was created in Gramsma’s design. While it’s one piece, there are three different sections that all are different heights (or depths I suppose). The project involved piling up soil from the region and created a hill on site. Then carving a large cavity within the mound to be the natural cast. Then poured in reinforced concrete mixed with remnants of Zuiderzee soil. The deepest (and first section goes 6-7 feet into the ground), the second, and third crevasses end where the existing concrete piles supported.

When it was dried and secured, the soil was removed, and what remained was an inverted, hollowed-out form resembling a vessel of geological history, balanced on a series of structural supports (with a hidden steel interior). A staircase (which was predesigned) was cleaned up, so visitors can ascend to take in views of the surrounding reclaimed land and its contrast with the old sea. There are some areas of it that are hollowed with gaps and access points for nature to purposefully take it over. The hope is that it will eventually be reclaimed, slowly with moss and insects, followed by more vegetation and animals. Thereby allowing the process of Riff, PD#18245 to continue..

This video is ideal to really see the process, which is key to understanding it, plus has great drone footage (the setting around it no longer looks like this). Also, it should be noted, since it has a strange name and I was wondering it, that PD stands for Public Domain, and #18245 is just the project number in Gramsma’s personal filing system.

Travel

You’ll need to rent a car to visit, I don’t see a better way for you to get out there. It’s about an hour drive from Amsterdam.

You’ll see it on your right as you drive north on the N306 along the east coast of Flevoland. There is an easy turnoff and large parking lot to use. This address will help you get there via GPS (Bremerbergdijk 10, 8256 RD Biddinghuizen, Netherlands),but just typing in Riff, PD#18245 should work as well. The artwork sits below the parking lot, about 650 feet away. It is a flat paved road, that slopes into a relatively flat gravel dirt path. But it’s very accessible and should not be very difficult for anyone to visit. The staircase to the top of the structure isn’t though, it just has a hand rail.

It is free to visit and there are no hours of operation listed, though there are no lights, so I would stick to daylight hours. There is an informational plaque.

Restaurant Beachclub NU shares the parking lot, though it was closed the day we visited, so I have no information to share. There’s access to a beach called Spijkstrand which looked quiet and nice as well. There is a walking path along the coast called Bremerbergdijk / Spijkpad, if you fancy a stroll on an elevated path. There is also some strange amusement park called Walibi Holland down the street. I say strange only in that it’s European. I have no idea what actually is there or if it’s any good.

Experience

We arrived around 4:30 in a Monday afternoon (in July). There were only a handful of vehicles in the parking lot, and no one went to visit Riff, PD#18245, so we had it to ourselves. In typical Dutch fashion, there was a group of bikers preparing for a cycle. We parked and stretched our legs, walking down the slope to the artwork.

There is a plaque with some information by the entrance. It sits right alongside the N306, so there is a relatively steady stream of vehicles flying by. We beelined towards the stairs and climbed right up. There is a sign that obviously states that you shouldn’t cross the barrier at the top of the steps and walk along the top. There are no guardrails on the “roof”, and you could definitely fall off and gravely injure yourself. Or damage the concrete monument.

I’m sorry Land Art Flevoland. I hopped the barrier. It was too enticing and too flat to not wnat to walk on it. Plus there was broken glass up there. People clearly had been drinking on top and had gotten rowdy. I wasn’t the first, and I certainly won’t be the last to go up there. I have a healthy fear of heights, so I went nowhere near the edge. Mostly just sat on it and enjoyed the view and weather.

From the top I took the obligatory landscape photo. Notice my wariness of the edge. It is certainly a weird place to stand. That pond in the distance and other hills are all part of an effort to manufacture an ecology here to promote wildlife.

I took a seat on top while Mattos circled it and got some pictures.

It’s fascinating comparing it to images of it’s installation just a little over five years ago, and how much vegetation has grown up around it. It’s no longer just flat. It also didn’t occur to me at the time to go walk underneath the the shallower portion of the structure.

This is another one that would have been good to know more about the process and history before we had gotten there. Below is the official playlist for you to enjoy on your visit as well.

Summary

It’s worth sitting up top (and breaking the rules) and having a snack and a drink. It’s a weird otherworldy spot. It feels like an odd roadside attraction. The process of creating it is more interesting than it’s existence itself. Though the conceptual idea that this is a physical (raised) manifestation of the now defunct Zuiderzee is cool, but it does just feel like a strange roadside attraction.

Podcast / Interview

Luke Heezen: What happened here? You might wonder when you see the work Riff, PD#18245. In the middle of a piece of agricultural land, a kind of rock of 7 meters high rises up, somewhat bewilderingly. But it is an inverted rock. It starts off narrow at the ground and gets wider as you look up. The top is a flat plateau and there is a staircase that you can use to climb the mountain. It looks like the entire area around this inverted mountain has been excavated and only this little tuft remains. And that is exactly what happened. The construction of this work began in 2018 because it was 100 years ago that the Zuiderzee law came into effect. The law that made it possible for the Flevopolder to be constructed. Artist Bob Gramsma threw a huge mountain of 15 cubic meters of agricultural and Zuiderzee soil on one pile. He then dug an impressive pit in it and let a thin layer of concrete flow into it. When the concrete had hardened and a cast of the pit had been formed, he had the sand Elmeen removed. It is an artificial piece of landscape that is almost as cleverly manufactured as the Flevopolder itself.

I talk about it with Nils van Beek. He sits across from me and was involved in the creation of this work from his position within a team that initiates art in public space and develops and produces the assignment.

Nils welcome. [Thank you.] It is a very special work, difficult to write down too. Do you perhaps recall how the idea for this work came about?

Nils van Beek: Well, to start with, the work fits very well into the work of Bob Gramsma. So actually the method, the strategy that he has applied, he has done that in other works as well. He is, through his parents, originally Dutch, but he is a Swiss artist. And he also works a lot with forces of nature, and you have to imagine, in the mountains, avalanches that slide and that kind of thing. So that geological side plays a strong role there. And precisely because of thinking on that scale, it was a logical choice to ask him to do something here from his way of working. And what he finds particularly important is that the process also carries with it the meaning of the work. And that the process, indeed, as you said in your introduction, is a kind of duplication of what has already happened there. So if you can see an entire country as a kind of large landscape artwork, an artwork like Bob's helps to experience it that way.

Luke: Yes, so you stand there and then you think, oh yes, actually everything we see here was once made, reclaimed, excavated, indeed, that was created, or not created but that was created, yes exactly. And you are in the process light, what does that mean? That sounds very nice, but what does this mean?

Nils: With Bob, his starting point is really a sculptural principle. He says it's essentially about being in the world, what does it mean, that you take up space, that you move through space and how you can understand the space where you are. And he thinks that you bring that forward very clearly the moment you start making a hole. That is something he actually started with in his academy days, not already there. From the idea that we can relate uncertainly to our environment, but as soon as you make a hole, that is a space that we cannot understand. We can't really feel its dimension, we can't really understand its shape. And so, with a very large part of the space that surrounds us, we can’t really touch it..

Luke: Because it's a hole?

Nils: Yeah, it's actually amorphous. Bob has actually tried to make that somewhat amorphous space his material in his entire work. When you're making a model drawing, as an artist you have to have your eye-hand coordination, while you're looking at the model drawing hand already, and actually the skill that he's developed for himself is to be able to visualize in that way with space or immaterial space. So actually when he's going to make a hole, he really has a feeling of, yeah, what kind of shape is this actually and then I make it.

Luke: And you do that by casting it?

Nils: Yeah, then that shape is concretized all at once, so that we can suddenly grab it or understand it. And at the same time it also comes to life again a strange thing, and precisely that it is a bit strange, is therefore also consistent, that you just can't quite get it. And certainly in such a Flevopolder where everything is straight, then suddenly there is such an enormous, yes, more organic volume, which is also a strange entrant in our Dutch landscape.

Luke: It is a totally strange thing indeed and it is not just an inverted lump but it also has really strange shapes, how did they get there?

Nils: Yes, he really kept that image, so he made a kind of basic design, because it is such a large building, because that is what it is, of course it also needs a construction and in order to get a permit everything has to be completely thought out. But ultimately it is of course also about the skin of the work, so where the concrete comes against the wall of the hole, that is also what you ultimately see on the outside, such as the color and the stones and remains that are brought along and such, which are in the outside of the work. So when that basic shape was actually made, Bob really did with, literally with his hand, with the shovel, the real image of the shape, so also, here it has to be more, here it has to be less, and yes, he is also really able to do that, and that is exactly that part in the process that only he as an artist can do.

Luke: And that was also done with clay, right? The clay soil that is also characteristic here.

Nils: What is essential, look, because actually that mountain doesn't matter that much, except that it was created from the material that was lying there. So it really came from that large agricultural plot, he actually put that on a pile. So the composition of that is important for how the work ultimately becomes. But ultimately, and that is then also put back on the same terrain. But what was important for the composition of the soil, you have a layer of clay, and underneath that is also sand, that is the old sea clay. But you need that sea clay for the strength. So it had to be that exactly where the wall of the hole was, that there was a lot of clay, because you can really keep an image there. And if you just have loose sand, you can imagine that, that just falls, at a certain point, it is everywhere just like a dike, 45 degrees and flat. So for the shape you already needed that clay component in the soil.

Luke: That people know that it is not an ordinary mound of sand, it is really modeled with clay. And there is also a hole in it, I noticed when I walked around it.

Nils: In the work? Yes. It is also an important aspect, there are holes in it, Bob's intention is that the work is not placed on a pedestal like you would a sculpture, it is an object and that is it, as is actually the process, up to that form that is important, the process afterwards is also important. He says that actually that work is constantly changing. So to start with the idea that the area around it becomes new nature. And in that, actually in that new nature, that work also applies and those holes have been made, so that bats and other animals, I don't really know, but they can also take up residence in that work. And in that way the work also withdraws itself a little, just like, if you think, well, it's a bit of a strange form, and in that way too it withdraws itself a little from our order, so it simply gets its own natural life, it will also start to weather and that sort of thing. And I think that is also why it is important that you can get on it, and that it is very flat at the top, because it was not only conceived as a kind of lookout point, which also has a bit to do with the aspect of the 100 years of the Zuiderzee Act, but that you only really understand how that shape came about when you get to the top. Look, you can hear it in this podcast or read it somewhere, but in the experience it is very essential that you get on top of it, because then you see, oh yes, I am standing on top of a cast, actually. And well, there it is again very flat, and underneath that is actually that naturalness, so there you also come from that new nature reserve, yes, you actually rise above that a little bit. And that's why you also come up with these kinds of thoughts of, yes, who does nature belong to, we are actually part of it, but we pretend that we are going into nature, as if that is something that we can control, yes, and all those kinds of contrasts and paradoxes, that don't require the work of.

Luke: It is also a brave attempt to finally get a mountain in the Netherland, from a half Swiss of course. That is also interesting. What I also found beautiful is when you walk around it, then you see a kind of legs, kind of wooden legs.It almost looks like some kind of enlarged popsicle sticks.

Nils: Yes, what you see, actually, those are just the heaves. Look, Bob has chosen that the hole is of course really a hole, so that it also did not go all the way to the full depth of that bulldozer. So it just has shapes where it is sometimes deeper and sometimes less deep. But that is of course not something that can be freely woven, so that has to be supported. So there is a constructive side to it, but at the same time that concrete also behaves a bit like bronze, because yes, the concrete of the piles and the concrete of actually that shell, that of the sculpture itself, that also becomes a whole. Just like when you take a, say, bronze sculpture out of the mold that has just been cast, there are also all those air channels on it, because of course the bronze has also run in. In mold 1 you can also see that, let's say, part of the sculpture. And that's how it works a bit with Bob too. And I think that, yes, it's also, there's an association with a hot, but it's also important through these kinds of poles, that that reference builds on, yes, how we're used to doing that on our slacking base, for example. That is also stated there in the game brought. [?]

Luke: And artificiality too. Yeah. You keep remembering, oh yeah, wait a minute, this is not a real rock or a natural living material, this is artificial.

Nils: And I also think, look, if the whole thing were completely on the ground, then you would also relate to it differently, then you would not be able to walk under it. So also your legal experience of the work. And I think that is a very important starting point of the work. It is very different. That you can walk underneath and so on. So you also need that construction for that.

Luke: Yeah, we need to talk about that name. I can't pronounce it. Riff, PD#18245. Well, not really a classic title.

Nils: Riff of course has to do with something musical too, a kind of articulation in space and time, but also a coral reef where life can arise in and on. So that part is more poetic piece, but that code that is behind it, that is actually the code with which Bob indicates his works, so PD, that is to say public domain, and works that he has not made in a public context, for example an object for in an exhibition space, so that we have a different code.

Luke: So it's just his own system?

Nils: Yes, actually, but it's of course important that you also know from that, oh yes, it's part of a series of works, in a certain way of thinking, and I think that the experience of the work deepens even more, if you also see, oh yes, it's actually very consistent in the development of his whole life. It is not a single idea for this place, but actually his work brought into a new context, into the context of Flevoland.

Luke: That's a bit of homework then, for who we want to see it. Last question, how is the landscape in the immediate vicinity going to develop? Because that is in development.

Nils: Yes, it is a development. It was actually always the intention, also that we would look where there were different locations that would be suitable to conceive the work for. Incidentally, before the choice of the artist was made, but it was always the idea that new nature would arise. Well, look, agricultural land is always kept artificially dry. That will disappear, so it will become a kind of wet, puddle-like structure for a very large part. A lot of reed will develop and actually also at a certain point towards the forest edge a bit further on, increasingly higher, scrubby and a bit erratic bushes. A bit swampy. It won't be styled that much, although I don't think the final design has been decided yet. It's more like this percentage of water that these animals thrive on. So many percent of bushes where these birds can breed well again. That's actually what was thought about. But the idea is that you will be able to get to work via a kind of path or something, but otherwise it will be very wet and swampy.

Luke: So now we also have the opportunity to get to know the work in an environment that is actually going to change. So you can look at it in different stages. Certainly, yes, certainly.

Nils: Yes, you can actually see it change over the years.

Luke: Well, then we should definitely do that and then we can start looking at ice cream sticks, holes, on the plateau. A lot of the shapes of the Zuiderzee clay, so to speak, on the side. Learned a lot of new things, I think, to be able to look at that. Thank you Nils.

Nils: You’re welcome.

Sources

Provide Links throughout the article and aggregate at the bottom summary

Accommodations, attractions, restaurants, official site, additional readings

https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/bob-gramsma-riff-pd-18245/

https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/bob-gramsma-riff-pd-18245/more-about-this-artwork/

https://www.visitflevoland.nl/en/locaties/625712534/riff-pd-18245-bob-gramsma

https://sculpture-network.org/en/Magazin/LandArt-Flevoland-Niederlande

https://www.taak.me/en/activity/bob-gramsma-riff-pd18245/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kwnBtVNOmQ

Kwan Ng 11/19/24 Kwan Ng 11/19/24

Marinus Boezem, De Groene Kathedraal, 1996 - Flevoland, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

This is the third post of five Land Art Flevoland sites that we visited in July, 2024. (I’ve repeated the next two paragraphs for all five posts)

The Green Cathedral (or in Dutch De Groene Kathedraal) is by Dutch artist Marinus Boezem. Started in 1987, by planting 178 Lombardy polar trees as the pillars and walls of the floor plan of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims, France. Stone was laid in the floor to represent the cross ribs and support beams, making the ground the “ceiling”. It was officially “completed” in 1996 (as in they grew enough to create the Gothic-style walls). That same year, an addition was added. Or rather, subtracted. It’s name is unclear, I’ve seen both “contra cathedral” or “Cathedral of Nature”, and I’m going to use the former. The Contra Cathedral is a reverse image of The Green Cathedral, a clearing in the adjacent Beech tree forest. Designed to be a specific conceptual contrasting dialogue, Beech trees were removed in the same footprint that Poplars had been added to the neighboring field. Probably best if I just show an image…

Source: Google Maps - The Contra Cathedral (above) and The Green Cathedral (below), you can see how they match one another

Each Cathedral is 150 meters long and 75 meters wide. Despite being considered completed in 1996, The Green Cathedral’s trees continued to grow. It is estimated that in 2015, they reached their general peak height of around 100 ft. Similarly the Beech forest around The Contra Cathedral has grown as well. Remember, Flevoland is manmade island that had mostly all of its vegetation curated, so this could be designed without “inflicting harm” upon nature, since it was all net new anyway. In the years though, nature has been allowed to interact, to an extent. The field around The Green Cathedral is still maintained allowing the cathedral to stand alone, though the interior has been allowed to grow a bit wild, certainly not like it was originally installed. I have a hard time believing that The Contra Cathedral also hasn’t had some maintenance as well (though less) over the decades. They certainly let the grass grow, the edges are not as sharp, and there’s a trodden path through the center, but they must have made sure no trees have grown in the field in the decades since. These inverse versions of each other have worked well to complement one another.

Marinus Boezum has created a unique blend of art, architecture, and ecology through his land art. Unlike many of the other ones we post, which bring in a solid element to work with the landscape like metal, or use very durable materials like stone, this is the first one we’ve been to that is more alive. It’s dynamic form changes with the seasons (check out this picture of it in the winter (albeit in its infancy)). Having to allow nature to interact with it and grow has allowed it to change so much more from its inception. There is a conceptual conversation, challenging you to see two simultaneous reclamations of the same footprints. It is also within a public park and had more visitors than any other Land Art we had visited (still not many).

Travel

Located in the Southwest of Flevoland, it is relatively close to Amsterdam, only a 30 minute drive. You will need a car to travel there. You should be able to type in The Green Cathedral into your GPS device and drive there. There is a bus stop called Almere Hout, Stichtsekant across the river (connected by an overpass), but I dunno how you get there.

You’ll approach it from the Northeast. Do not try the entrance at the purple x on the above map. This was blocked off by a barrier. There is parking availablein the loop in the park. When we were there, there were only a few vehicles there, with plenty of additional space to park. As you can see, the park is near some residential developments, as well as a highway across the river.

This part confused us. You have to take a turn onto Kathedralenpad, not Reimslaan. We were not sure that vehicles were allowed on this path, since it was a single lane and had no signage confirming that we could drive down it, nor did we see any vehicles. So we parked on Reimslaan and walked down. However, upon arrival, we could see that cars had driven down this road. There were not many clear pull offs on this nearly 1 kilometer stretch, so take a look before you pull onto it to see if anyone is coming down before you commit to driving across. Luckily it’s perfectly straight and it’ll only take you a couple minutes driving, but pulling off or reversing would be very tedious on this road, so worth a look before committing.

There is a teahouse, Boerderij Uniek Leven, at the end of Reimslaan (the adjacent road through the residential area). It is open Fridays-Sunday during the day, so we did not experience it. It has a direct walking path access to the park, they are clear that they don’t want people to park actually at the teahouse.

Translation: Please do not park here. You can park at the end of Kathedralenpad.

It is free to visit the park, and there seemed to be no hour restrictions, however, there were no lights, so probably best to stick with daylight hours. There were no restrooms or facilities here, so plan accordingly. Almere is nearby, so head there for food and such.

Experience

Going through these blog posts and doing all this research is a bit flawed. I should really be doing all this research beforehand. I think it would greatly improve my experience. I would know more about the history, look at the pieces and the landscapes differently. Seeing it “today” versus the historical pictures over the years. I need to change this about our land art travels. Learning and reviewing them retrospectively after having been there is not as rewarding. It would have been nice to have had photos of what it originally looked like at inception and completion and see those changes compared to now.

The Green Cathedral was actually the first Land Art piece I found in the Netherlands. So it kicked off this whole Land Art Flevoland tour.

We arrived around 2 in the afternoon, coming from Exposure / Lelystad. As mentioned before, after driving circles in the area looking for signage, we parked in the wrong area, unsure if we could drive down the path that seemingly led to the park. We walked the kilometer down Kathedralenpad into the park. We first went to The Contra Cathedral (in hindsight I wish we had done this second). There were a couple people walking their dogs, and someone picnicking in the tall grass. There’s a trodden / cleared path through the middle. It’s a strange perfectly clearing in a pretty dense forest, but honestly, nature has done such a good job, if you didn’t know it was purposeful, you might not notice. The Beech trees have grown round and full, so there are really only two egresses that are obvious. Almost natural doorways that lead to this imaginary cathedral.

We exited and rounded the corner to The Green Cathedral. Mattos walked through it, while I walked around, for the photos. Unfortunately though, the best photos are probably taken with a drone, to really capture the cathedral layout. Certain Poplar trees have barriers around them. I didn’t consider it at the time, but given the age, it must be for certain trees’ protection.

We met on the other side at the entrance. There is a plaque on the ground, and the cathedral really opens up for you to see it all. From this vantage point you can see the main… nave?

There is a path around the boundary of the park, as well as a few benches closer to the main path of the park that connects to a overpass that crosses the river and highway. Plus a small area for some houseboat / riverboats to dock at.

I accidentally sat on Mattos’ sunglasses, which we bought in Amsterdam. She hasn’t forgiven me yet.

All in all, we spent about an hour there. I wish we had more time to sit and picnic there. It was a beautiful location. We had a full day and were behind schedule, so we didn’t stay too long. I would like to return for our second Land Art Flevoland trip next summer. Plus with all this additional research, it would be nice to search for the stones / shells, and appreciate the effort more.

Another thing I wish we knew is that there is an official Spotify Playlist for experiencing the art. Made by Good4Good for Land Art Luisterweekend. It’s just 4 songs and 18 minutes long, see below.

Summary

The Green and Contra Cathedrals are technically beautiful and brilliantly constructed. They are wonderful in concept and impressive in size, time, and scope. And yet, I was rather underwhelmed. It’s possible that I didn’t do enough research beforehand to appreciate it, or that it was simply too large that being a mere human doesn’t allow you to truly comprehend it. I probably rushed us too much to make sure we could hit everything we wanted to see that day.

I recommend you see it as a key component of a Land Art Flevoland trip. Though it felt more like a nice and strange park. Somewhere I’d like to sit with friends on a picnic blanket, crack open some drinks and share some snacks while we all caught up. Finally, a way to get raucous at church.

Podcast / Interview

This is a link to Land Art Flevoland’s podcast / interview about Exposure. It is unfortunately in Dutch only. But I did put it through a transcriber (notta) and translator (Google). I apologize to the original content creators, I had to edit and bridge some gaps, but hey, I don’t speak Dutch, and I just wanted to share their content with more people. Hopefully they don’t mind. The guest in this one (Marijke Jansen) also shows some presentation materials and images, you can watch in the link, at 5:00, 8:30, and 10:25. Below is the badly transcribed, translated to English, and edited interview transcript.

Luuk Heezen: The green cathedral is a magnificent work by conceptual artist Marinus Boezem. In 1987 he planted 178 poplars in the flat Flevoland polder... according to the plan of the Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral of Reims. According to Boezem, the Gothic cathedral is a masterpiece of architecture, just as the construction of the Flevopolder was a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering. Where in one field the trees are removed from the interior of the cathedral and are planted in another field next to the forest around the perimeter of the cathedral so that the recess of the cathedral would be visible there. Thus the image of the cathedral is executed in both negative and positive silhouette. Nine years after the planting of the poplars, the work was allowed to be visited. The green cathedral had grown far enough to be opened.

Marijke Jansen is sitting with me. He was a project leader for visual arts in public space in Amsterdam for many years. She has been an art consultant for the Dom Tower and the Dom Church in Utrecht. She writes about art in public space. She is also a guide in for the city and landscapes. An extraordinary civil servant. Yes, that's how we should say it. Welcome Marijke. [Yes, thank you.] That means that you also had people marry. Then we'll talk about how that looks, that green cathedral and how that works. But first, for your work as a guide. What do you tell people who walk around there? What do they really need to know about that green cathedral?

Marijke Jansen: Well, of course they have to know the ins and outs of the background in which Marinus Boezem came to design this, and also his work before that, because he is always interested in Gothic works. The cathedral of Rouen in Northern France, is a cathedral of more than 800 years old and you have to realize that, what that means, that such a work of art is still there. And how that work of art in Almeren (where the Green Cathedral is located) has grown, because it is a Gothic growth work of art, which has now reached its actual height after about 40 years, with the added negative element that they have in fact also reached their lifespan and can now more or less collapse. The poplars you have left now. The poplars and during the storms of the past few years, yes, then now and then some branches start to come loose and a tree falls over that has to be sawn off and that means, what are you going to do then? Because originally, Boezem's idea was to leave everything that fell over there or leave it lying around.

Luuk: The cathedral is in decay, actually?

Marijke: The cathedral in decay. But that means that you can't go there with people, because then you can't mow and then it actually becomes a dangerous situation to walk around there. Because when you are on location, you should not walk around that cathedral, then you will experience something, but you should go through it, at the front through that marble place that is there, which in fact also indicates the contours, then you should have the feeling as if you are walking through the bronze doors of the original cathedral. And then you walk, look up where you should actually see the cross vaults, but they are lying here on the ground and that's how you tell the story. But if those trees collapse, that won't be possible anymore. So now a plan is being drawn up in consultation with Boezem, who is now well into his 80s, but still up to date, I hope, to see what he wants now, because after 40 years his idea may also have been adjusted.

Luuk: What’s the favorite spot in that poplar cathedral?

Marijke: Well actually from that bronze plate, the marble plate that is supposed to represent the bronze doors. Because then you can see a whole cathedral, you can tell about the columns, the trees. That there were circles around it, where the shells are in again. Those trees actually represent the columns of the cathedral. And those shells that lay around it, that actually refers to the Zuiderzee of the past.

Luuk: As it used to deliver.

Marijke: But there are no more shells to be found.

Luuk: and no more shells to be found.

Marijke: Oh, there are shells all around, I'll see if I can share a picture of that.

Luuk: Yeah, I see you’ve brought your own images.

Marijke: Here is a bit of a bad copy. [points to a printout of the bases of some of the trees] Here you see such a tree. And then around it such a circle, and in that circle there were in fact originally shells. Which then gave that reference to the sea.

Luuk: But they have been removed.

Marijke: Well, taken away, that's a no-brainer, but I was once with a school, yes, in Rotterdam, I believe. And I told the children about it. And a child came along with a shell, which was completely astonishing. He says, well, you should keep those, because it is very special that you still find them. But in fact they are gone, which is a shame.

Luuk: So actually the grandeur of that cathedral, when you see that, that moment you find the most beautiful.

Marijke: Yes I find that beautiful, then you have a beautiful length, it is 150 meters. But what I always tell people, you have to look well in the length sideways and especially also up and walk through, then you make the turn towards the negative cathedral and then we walk around that. We go there too. And then I ask, what do you feel now? And then they always have the idea that it is much, much bigger. And actually that is the same story with all the works of art that we then go to on such a day, as soon as you get close to it or further away, then suddenly the relationship is different. So every time something is triggered in your brain that puts you on the wrong track. And yes, I also like to let them experience that.

Luuk: While it is exactly the same floor plan.

Marijke: It's exactly the same, exactly the same size, only it feels completely different.

Luuk: You are an ordinary civil servant and in that capacity you have also married someone there, in style [?] ?

Marijke: Yeah, yeah, that's the marriage attitude [?]. Often, right?

Luuk: Even there.

Marijke: That was really nice. That came my way because Robbie and Tosca wanted to get married. Robbie did an exhibition in the context of The Land Art in the KAF building in Almere. And of course had a lot of contact with Martine van Kampen there. And then he asked, could he also be married there, because he had plans to get married. And that was never officially arranged with the municipality. And then she said, yes, we can try that. But then I also have a registrar. Because Martine knew that I was also a marriage officer. And then I was asked and I really enjoyed doing it. Also because of the location, because that is of course a very special location. I have married people before. It is just in a beautiful gachtepant [?] in Amsterdam or at the city hall. It is also nice, but this was still very special.

Luuk: So take us into that space, what did it look like then?

Marijke: That space was by them and by their friends, because it is a whole organization, completely decorated, in the back. Then you walk into that green cathedral and then you walk to the back and there on the widest part. There were white ribbons hung there, which in fact indicated the wedding location and where the chairs were. And then at the end.

Luuk: And in the normal cathedral that would be, the forebays [forecrops?], what do you call them?

Marijke: I am here [?] catholic, I wrote it down, because then I always forget it of course. In any case there near the Altar, there it is.

Luuk: The most central.

Marijke: And there were all the chairs for the guests and the chairs, a very nice bench, very romantic. A bit of a delicate bench for the couple who were getting married and a table where I stood and where the books were present, the marriage certificate. But at such a marriage with a baks [?] there is always a civil servant from the municipality itself present. He also comes with the marriage certificate and he has to see that I can do it all right.

Luuk: It seems very special to me.

Marijke: Well, first of all, you start with nice weather, that's natural, you can't force that, you just have to be lucky. Of course everyone was excited, that already gives a certain atmosphere, but also the path to it, to the place where the cars can be parked, that was already completely indicated, friends of theirs had done that, with, if I may say so irreverently, lollipop sticks in the ground, but instead of a lollipop, there was a heart stuck on it, and so you had a whole path all the way to the front of the church, and then you had to walk in there. And there they came, striding along, that's what I'll say.

Luuk: Gorgeous, both in white.

Marijke: In what cream are, in white, and yes, and yes, everyone of course looking around and excited. And it's also there because it's so in the green and with nice weather it's so fairytale behind. I think that for them, I liked it, but I think that for them it was a very special day. Of course, every wedding is special, but at such a location it is perhaps even more authentic.

Luuk: Great story, indeed, fairytale-like, that's how it looks, actually, immediately.

Marijke: And then I’ll show you a problem, because there is no electricity, you have to take care of everything. That is not only about your tent, where if the weather is bad, that was planned on the negative cathedral, then it should have taken place there. But you also need electricity and of course you need toilets, all of that needs to be organised.

Luuk: That's all arranged, it all has to be brought.

Marijke: I have already arranged through them.

Luuk: Can you tell me for everyone who hasn't been to the green cathedral? Why is it such a special work? Why should you get in the car now and go there?

Marijke: Because it is one of the first landscape artworks in the Netherlands. Most artworks in the Netherlands are usually in the built environment, so relatively modest in size. This is totally immodest in size. That alone is a reason to go there. It is really so big and grand. You feel insignificant there and people who go on holiday to Italy or to France, to Notre Dame, that is now a bit of a bad example in Paris, but for that Notre Dame would go. You suddenly feel like a very insignificant person, whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter. I always have that feeling. And you have it there too. And in this case nature runs away with you instead of those stones, and all those statues, and all those beautiful stained glass windows. And now it's blue of the sky and green of the trees and the rustling of the leaves. It's a pity that the highway is so busy, because you can hear that too. Because otherwise you could be completely in nature.

Luuk: Thank you, we will see for ourselves. Thanks for your explanation.

Sources

Land Art Flevoland. “Marinus Boezem: De Groene Kathedraal.” Land Art Flevoland. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/marinus-boezem-de-groene-kathedraal/.
Senses Atlas. “The Green Cathedral by Marinus Boezem.” Senses Atlas. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.sensesatlas.com/the-green-cathedral-marinus-boezem/.
Atlas Obscura. “Green Cathedral.” Atlas Obscura. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/green-cathedral.
SoundCloud. “De Groene Kathedraal van Marinus Boezem.” SoundCloud. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://soundcloud.com/user-129191601/10-de-groene-kathedraal-van-marinus-boezem.

Kwan Ng 11/7/24 Kwan Ng 11/7/24

Antony Gormley, Exposure, 2010 - Flevoland, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

This is the second post of five Land Art Flevoland sites that we visited in July, 2024. (I’ve repeated the next two paragraphs for all five posts)

Exposure is a sculpture by Antony Gormley that stands 26 meters tall and weighing around 60 tons. It sits along the manmade Markermeer lake. Also known as “The Crouching Man,” it is a massive squatting figurine staring out over the water. It is made of an intricate steel lattice structure. Interconnected black beams create a transparent skeleton. His positioning on the waterfront is an active testament to mankinds tussle with nature, sitting on reclaimed land next to a man made fresh water lake, formerly connected to the ocean. The open frame interacts with nature and weather, allowing the elements to interact with it and allow it to change over time. It even was suggested that there is an agreement that if they have to adjust the land in any way in the future, that Exposure must stay exactly where it is, so over time it could certainly be flooded or buried on purpose.

Antony Gormley, born in London in 1950, is a renowned British sculptor. His iconic works, like "Angel of the North" in Gateshead and "Another Place" in Liverpool, use human figures to prompt reflection on human existence and our place in the environment.He was even knighted in 2014 for his contributions. Here is a link to his website, filled with a very cool gallery of the designing and making of Exposure.

Travel

Exposure is essentially at the start of the dike that Engelen/Angels is located at, so they’re easy to do together.

It is free to park here and access. There is usually a food truck posted up here as well.

The orange highlighted area is the intersection with the highway to enter this parking lot. The purple highlighted area is where the parking is. That Aida Snackwagen is a good wayfinding destination for GPS.

There’s probably about 30 drawn parking spots, but there seems to be plenty of extra overflow area if need be. We were one of the few vehicles there, but perhaps on a weekend or later in the day, when the adjacent beach is being used more, it could be more crowded. The parking lot was well maintained and didn’t seem sketchy. We weren’t worried about our vehicle or belongings. After you park just walk under the overpass, and you’ll see Exposure at the end of the road. You’ll pass an RV Park and a beach you can walk along if you’d like, but the walk is nearly a kilometer from the parking lot, so we didn’t detour. It is flat and paved.

There seemed to be no hours for parking / access. However, it probably just abides by public park rules as there wasn’t a lot of extra lighting. So I’d suggest visiting during the daylight. Though sunset here could be cool.

Lelystad is the most populated area in Flevoland, so if you’re going to need something to eat, it’s probably best to grab something here, as there aren’t a lot of options elsewhere on the island. Same goes for using the restroom.

Experience

We arrived around 11 in the morning, after driving from Amsterdam, up the west coast of the Markermeer lake, and listened to the Engelen/Angels piece crossing the dike. Immediately before you complete the dike and cross into Lelystad, you can pull off into a rest area of sorts, and walk along the remainder of the dike / island to Exposure.

We didn’t try Aida Snackwagen, though I was tempted by a classic Dutch pickled herring sandwich. There were no other patrons, so we didn’t feel like it was popular enough for us to risk it. We also had leftover Surinamese food from the night before that we ate at the feet of Exposure.

We were the only two people to visit. There were a few people wandering the beach, but it was mostly ours to explore.

Exposure is actually so far away from the highway that you don’t really notice the sculpture at first. The long direct walk there is quite nice. As you really feel like you are leaving your vehicle behind and visiting a hermit on the beach. In the moment I didn’t think much about potential rising tides, I mostly enjoyed the peace. It was nice to get away from the hustle of Amsterdam and a nice place to first step out of the car and get some views and air.

Hangin around his feet, in the distance we could see the cars back up on the dike as the drawbridge opened up to let a ferry cross from the Markermeer to the IJsselmeer. I couldn’t find the exact elevations, but suffice to say Markermeer is lower than IJsselmeer, which is closer to the Zuiderzee and the Atlantic. The Dutch used these series of dikes to lower the surrounding seawater, adding land to their country. Even Amsterdam is entirely below sea level and if the dams were to fail almost five million residents would be affected immediately. A terrifying thought that the Dutch have to grow up with. I wish we had known this before, and in the moment contemplated how water would submerge The Crouching Man.

Another thing I wish we knew is that there is an official Spotify Playlist for experiencing the art. Made by Good4Good for Land Art Luisterweekend. It’s just 3 song and 10 minutes long, see below. There is none for Engelen/Angels of course, since experiencing it already has an audio component.

Summary

As part of a Land Art Flevoland trip, it is a worthwhile spot, but it isn’t necessary to make a specific trip for just this one sculpture from Amsterdam.

Podcast / Interview

Luke Heezen: You can see him from far away, Antony Gormley's steel man in Lelystad. He gazes relaxed, recollected, over the Markermeer... while the wind blows right through his steel frame. Only when you walk down the Markerstrekdam road and approach him up close can you see how immense he is at 26 meters high. This steel giant has the same parts as electricity pylons. And its construction, like the construction of the entire island, was a technical feat. A special computer program was designed to be able to perform the complex calculations.

This work, Exposure from 2010 is the only one of the nine landscape works in Flevoland that is figurative and does not make direct use of the nature that lies around it. But despite his height, the crouching man is modest in his posture... and directs our gaze together with his to the surrounding nature.

I talk about this beautiful work and this crouching man with Vincent de Boer, an art advisor in public space at the Stroom in The Hague where he is also involved with land art works.

Welcome Vincent.

Vincent de Boer: Yes, thank you.

Luke: It is a steel giant. Look at the horizon, look at the nature. The longer such a land art work stands, the more the nature around it changes. You noticed that no one actually stops to think about the longer horizon of that change. Climate change for example. How is that possible?

Vincent: Yes, well, that's actually quite funny about Gormley’s work, that he already thought during the assignment formulation that the work, because the landscape changes, does not actually change the base on which the image stands. So if the sea rises, then the feet do not rise with it. So the dike on which he stands remains what it is and if the dike is raised, then the sculpture, the frame itself, is buried in the newly raised dike.

Luke: He said that?

Vincent: I read that in the contract and I actually found it so fascinating that he already, as a foreigner, looks at the landscape. For us it is so obvious that there is a battle with the sea, that there will be a raising of the dikes. That is actually part of our existence, our DNA you could say of Dutch people. While for foreigners that is much less of a given. Few think, wow, what kind of water feature is this? That he has chosen that spot on the dike and that is the spot where you also do not often travel to, that he invites you to, where you have to go, that is also on a beach, normally a piece would be much closer. So for him that place is a given and how you relate to it, but how the landscape will change, that actually already takes into account how you will experience that in the future. I find that very fascinating about this work, you don't see that very often actually.

Luke: What is interesting, is that the perspective will also change. So now you look at why with that crouching man over the Markermeer to the surroundings. But suppose those feet are under water.

Vincent: Yes, then the focal point of that work becomes those wet feet. Yes.

Luke: It may seem like someone who swims then.

Vincent: Yeah.

Luke: We now see a recognized man, but if the sea level is a few meters higher, then he might be sitting with his feet on the water.

Vincent: Yes, it may become the bathing man.

Luke: Is it possible that a few people (when confronting the art) may think about the relationship between sea level rise, climate change?

Vincent: Yes, I think it's too confrontational actually, that whole aspect of loss, of giving up. We've had everything in the Netherlands controlled for a long time, because it created itself by working together, by breaking away, actually by controlling nature. And that is actually the task in which we recognize more. So the fact that we may eventually have to give up that fight or that we will have to give up parts. You can already see that in the landscape near the rivers, that there is no more investment there to place houses or industry, because it may be flooded at high tide. So that whole aspect of moving more with nature and instead of resisting it or putting up a barrier, I think that is relatively new. There are all kinds of scenarios for museums in regards to their art; what we do in disasters, in floods, in atomic explosions, but for the buildings and the artwork in the public window, there is no plan for that at all. I actually found that quite astonishing. When you see how many people are involved in conservation, in making new works and also how important that is for our identity as the Netherlands. How many people come to the Netherlands, to Amsterdam, for all the culture that is there. And certainly the art in the public window, it is also a very unique aspect of the Netherlands if you compare it to other countries.

Luke: And then it would actually be a blind spot in our identity... that if we were to acknowledge that the water would want to be able to come... that we would be burdened with it, then we would also acknowledge our obligation in the fight against that water.

Vincent: Yes, you may have to make a choice. You can't take everything. So which works are really essential? What are they, what belongs in the canon and who decides that? And those are actually questions that we should already be thinking about. Because if you let it come to that, you will be too late and you may wonder why and who decides that.

Luke: Yes, so it could indeed be possible, we are sitting here in Zeewolde with a view of Richard Serra’s sea level, which could one day be under water again.

Vincent: That would be a moot point now, if there were no dikes. And we also have to deal with sinking ground. That goes down a few centimeters.

Luke: So perhaps there is also a silent warning in Gormley's work in exposure.

Vincent: Yeah.

Luke: Right now, we just see a dike with a beautiful free construction on it, but there may be a warning in it.

Vincent: Gormley’s works are always landscapes. He takes his own body as a starting point. He makes volumes of it. For this image too, he first let himself be completely... He sat down, and measured himself according to a computer… actually he had all the distances between all those points calculated. He assumed that none of those lines between them should disappear. So if one such bar were to be removed then the whole structure would actually collapse. So that whole... all that relationship between all those points on which the work is built... that is very central to him. But they are always in their landscape. Always in the mountains or in the streams. He relates to something. And you can say that here too, that he relates to this country. And that is of course very specific here because it is also all land that has been conquered from the sea.

Luke: The idea of sea level rise, climate change is in more of Gormley's works. Can you explain how that works?

Vincent: I know a work he made in Folkestone, England in which he also placed a number of figures at a sea outlet. And there is also a work in The Hague. It is now at the Kunstmuseum. That is a very invisible work because it is a well. And in it you see a man in a well. But as a visitor you walk over the edge of that well. So you only see him from above. He stands with his feet in the water. That is actually also a very recognizable Dutch image. Because he has to sink or swim. We all know that image. But that image is literally that person who sinks or swims.

Luke: If we had to fantasize, what would you like to save from the public artworks? That is of course a very difficult question, but which do you think are essential? Have you thought about that?

Vincent: I'm actually interested in what that would look like. Do we know what we have? I think the moment you realize what you're losing, you also realize how precious those works of art are. I often notice that in The Hague when they remove a work of art for maintenance or because of some change, like the zoning plan changes, then a lot comes loose. Then we say things like, “but I always looked at this work as a child and I would find it very bad if it disappeared and that is why it has to come back.” So at that moment when you're asking those questions, you're activating that relationship with the audience. And I would actually call it much more of a thought exercise of what happens if we have to give up those works, what does that mean for us?

Luke: What would you do? What three things would hurt you the most?

Vincent: I think that's really a fair question.

Luke: A question of a different nature.

Vincent: Yes, and I actually also find the coherence of works. Well, I think that one of my favorite works in The Hague is the work of Vito Arconci. That is actually a bit of a very unknown work. It is behind the Den Haag Hollands Spoor. There is a kind of fraction of an island. It is called Park in the Water. Arconci came to the exhibition in Stroom. And was actually more a kind of an alternative way to look at the developments for a new campus behind Holland Spoor. They were busy re-arranging it. And then he said, well, that was an old harbor. What if you were to smash that landmass of that harbor into pieces like a mirror and spread all those shards over the water. That was really a totally different way of dealing with such an area at a different scale. And that was of course a rather ambitious plan, but one of those shards has been realized. It has actually been cut off from that harbor head. And like a kind of island, it sits there in the water. And you can get there by making a little track. So it is a work where you are in the eye of the hurricane. Around you you experience that big city with noise, with all kinds of high-rise buildings and changes. But there is a kind of stillness there. And I find these kinds of places very precious. Because I think the public space is used very much by everyone there. And now you also notice that it opens up together. Everybody wants more space to use. Allowing both for others, but also a feeling that it is just my space. So he is under pressure to accommodate both aspects.

Luke: So you want quiet zones, an oasis of peace.

Vincent: Yes, you would like to have some places where different laws apply, where people can indeed retreat to seek some kind of tranquility, especially in environments that are so restless, so hectic.

Luke: And if you go back to this Gormley, to Exposure, how do you expect him to be sitting, standing, strolling in twenty years' time.

Vincent: Yes, I think the environment will have changed a lot, there are plans to create islands in the market lake, there will be more vegetation around it, so where it is now a kind of giant in a very empty landscape, I expect that in 20, 30 years it will have become a lot better, but perhaps we will come to the conclusion that it is not a good place to live at all and we will leave it alone and it will be completely overgrown or we will retreat to the hills of the Veluwe (National Park).

Luke: Yes, and it's funny that with all those scenarios that you're sketching now, that the relationship of that man with his environment also changes a lot. So either, it's a river landscape or it's built up and there's people wedged in there. Which could also be a beautiful image, of course, that the building stands for a moment and that the man is gradually trapped in his own figure. Or he is under water, yes.

Vincent: I once read that if that man were to stand up, that figure would be over a hundred meters. Maybe Antony should come up with a remake in which the man eventually, or in a different place, stands up.

Luke: Yes, I think that's a good way to say what a quality outdoor artwork is, if it does something to the environment and stimulates your imagination.

Vincent: And it really is a quality indeed.

Luke: It remains to be seen, but it may also be a reflection of what is going to happen to that very big man. That environment may be a bit of our future.

Vincent: Yes, and I think it's very good that he addresses it, that he names it and names it now, in which actually this undermining is not yet completely undiscussable. That whole aspect of what if, that is still very much pushed off into the future. And we're going to have to fix it, no matter what, with higher dikes or an extra dune for the North Sea coast. So the whole feasibility idea, it still prevents us from thinking about that a little bit. I think that art has the ability to talk about this with a certain freedom and with a certain imagination.

Luke: And of course he is literally a visionary, not really a man, but he looks further than we can now, he looks beyond the horizon as it were. So maybe it would be nice to stand at his feet and look along. Thank you Vincent for speaking about it.

Sources

Land Art Flevoland. “Antony Gormley, Exposure.” Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/antony-gormley-exposure/.
“Exposure van Antony Gormley.” SoundCloud audio, 5:41. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://soundcloud.com/user-129191601/7-exposure-van-antony-gormley.
Antony Gormley Studio. “Exposure.” Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.antonygormley.com/works/making/exposure.
Wikipedia. “Exposure (sculpture).” Last modified March 31, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_(sculpture).
Higgins, Charlotte. “Antony Gormley’s Giant Man Keeps Watch on Flevoland.” The Guardian, August 27, 2010. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/aug/27/antony-gormley-exposure-sculpture.
My Modern Met. “Antony Gormley’s Towering ‘Exposure’ Sculpture Is as Fragile as It Is Strong.” Accessed October 23, 2024. https://mymodernmet.com/antony-gormley-exposure/.

Kwan Ng 10/28/24 Kwan Ng 10/28/24

Moniek Toebosch, Engelen/Angels, 1994 - Flevoland, Netherlands (July, 2024)

Background

This is the first post of five Land Art Flevoland sites that we visited in July, 2024. (I’ll repeat the next two paragraphs for all five posts)

Engelen/Angels by Dutch artist, Moniek Toebosch, was added third in 1994. And by added, I mean, invisibly added (albeit for a road sign that apparently once existed and was taken down in 2000), as this land art is audio. Engelen/Angels is a sound installation that can be heard only on a 26 km land bridge / dyke / dam called the Houtribdijk. Originally it was broadcast on a radio frequency on 98.0 FM (24 hours a day), but that ended in 2000, and it was revived in 2020, now available via an app.

Moniek is the daughter of a composer and many of her works actively involve sound. During the roughly 20 minute drive you listen to a soundscape composed in collaboration between Moniek and Harm Visser. The “music” is abstract harmonized vocals that feel at home in a arthouse film depicting angels communicating amongst each other in a vast flat landscape. Every so often in different languages the words for Hope and Love are spoken throughout. I couldn’t find an exact length of the piece, but suffice to say it’s much longer than 20 minutes, as we never heard it break or could identify that it had looped.

While the physical landscape of the manmade sea around you is a key component of the experience, for it to be audible only in a specific location made it a unique experience. In the privacy of your own vehicle you zip along this land bridge, just above the water being serenaded by celestial noises that you’ll only hear there.

Travel

The Engelen / Angels app only works along the dike between Enkhuizen and Lelystad. It’s about a 20 minute drive across without traffic. There are drawbridges that can create some backups.

Engelen/Angels was our first stop on our Land Art Flevoland road trip (five stops in Flevoland)

You’ll need your own car to visit. Though I’m sure there are buses that would take you across. There are no tolls on this drive. Amsterdam is pretty close, so all of this can be done as a day trip from the capital.

It is the farthest of the Land Art Flevoland pieces, though I suppose if you just pulled over in Lelystad near the dike, you could just listen to it without actually driving over the bridge, but you wouldn’t be experiencing the piece fully, so I don’t suggest you do that.

Download the app here (Apple & Google). You’ll need to turn on location services for it to work as well.

Experience

We did a 140km route around Flevoland to see five of the land art pieces. We rented a car in Amsterdam, and drove up the west coast of the Markemeer, headed to Enkhuizen. We figured we would drive across the dike once, and didn’t want to go back and forth. Arguably, we could have driven west across it from Lelystad, U-turned and returned, but I often prefer loops rather than there and backs. That said, in hindsight, I probably would suggest doing the there and back. It would save time, and it’s a prettier drive than just driving north out of Amsterdam.

My main advice is to download and set up the app before you arrive. There’s not really an ideal place to pull over and set it up, and we spent a good few minutes on the dike just trying to get the app loaded, hooked up to our car’s Bluetooth, and playing for our drive. My phone was connected to the car, but didn’t have service, so we had to do a swap whilst driving and it was a whole hassle (better experienced over the car’s sound system than a phone).

Below is the app, but these screenshots were taken back stateside, so it looks different when it’s live.

There are no signs or indicators that Engelen/Angels is there. So just keep an eye on the app, and when it turns on just hit play and listen. Because I was driving, I don’t have any pictures of said drive (because I’m a relatively responsible and safe driver), but I assure you it’s a beautiful crossing.

Driving across along the dike for 20ish minutes, just a few meters above sea level, with wide expanses of water on either side of you, while you listened to a choral soundscape was quite meditative. Unfortunately, you don’t want to get too wrapped up in it, as you’re still operating a motor vehicle. And we were quite disappointed there wasn’t any place to really pull over and just sit and enjoy the scenery. Couple of breakdown lanes were available, but still directly on the main road, and there was little notification or privacy from the main road.

Engelen/Angels is a piece of art through a medium you don’t get to experience often. It’s ephemeral because you can’t see it or touch it. It plays with the impermanence of land art, and plays on it in a new way. It has a vastly different type of endurance over the years than the monuments and sculptures made of steel and stone. It has been digitized and revived once already, but how long will this format be supported and last? Will it transfer again to whatever comes next?

We often use our phones and apps as a means of escape, but the Angel Transmitter app forces the reverse. When tuning into Toebosch’s music, you are actively choosing to be present. To drive the dike, to stare off into the inland seas the Dutch have created.

We’re actually quite surprised it hasn’t gone viral, as a lot of social media seeks out unique experiential activities. Especially things that are obscure and prove that you’re worldly and have wealth / privilege. Given the anti-tourism push in so many parts of the world, and even across the bay in Amsterdam, it would be natural that the Angel Transmitter gain more popularity in this social media age.

We were there in July, 2024. The Netherlands were much colder and rainier than we expected. The weather was volatile and all over the place. This roadtrip was on a Monday and there was rarely any traffic, barring waiting for some ships to cross the aforementioned drawbridges. There are no hour restrictions as far as I could tell.

We had leftovers from Amsterdam that we ate, but otherwise, we just stayed on the road, and grabbed caffeinated beverages for the drive, so I have no restaurant recommendations.

Summary

As part of a broader day trip to Land Art Flevoland from Amsterdam, I highly recommend that Engelen/Angels makes the cut. Get a window seat, be quiet, and soak up the nature and whispers of angels.

Podcast / Interview

This is a link to Land Art Flevoland’s podcast / interview about Engelen/Angels. It is unfortunately in Dutch only. But I did put it through a transcriber (notta) and translator (Google). I apologize to the original content creators, I had to edit and bridge some gaps, but hey, I don’t speak Dutch, and I just wanted to share their content with more people. Hopefully they don’t mind. Below is the badly transcribed, translated to English, and edited interview transcript.

Luuk Heezen: Between Enkhuizen and Lelystad runs the Houtribdijk, a 29-kilometer dike [land bridge] with a view of the water on both sides. You can drive over it without knowing that there is a work of art to experience, Engelen/Angels, also called the Engelenzender [Angel Transmitter], by Moniek Toebosch. Between 1994 and 2000 you could tune in to 98.0 FM on a radio in your car. Then you heard Moniek's singing, sometimes fragile and sometimes multiplied, so it often sounds like a choir, a choir of angels. This Angel Transmitter could only be received near the dike, until December 31st, 1999. After that the Angels were taken off the air for a while, but they could be heard again in 2019 via an app. Due to it being revisited as part of the exhibition called Freedom; 50 core Dutch artworks from 1968, selected by art critic Hans den Hartog Jager for the Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle. The app was then taken over by Rijkswaterstaat [a government agency regarding public works and water management] and later the province of Flevoland. Now it is free for everyone to download. Turn on the app and as soon as your GPS indicates that you are near the Houtribdijk, the Angels will start singing to you again.

I talked about this special work with art historian Brigitte van der Sande. Who followed Moniek’s work until she died in 2012. It is actually an impossible question, but I am going to ask it anyway. What kind of artist was Moniek Toebosch?

Brigitte van der Sande: That is indeed an impossible question. She was about the most versatile artist I have ever met. It really did not matter which discipline was used, it really depended on the project. She is simply a real freethinker and a free maker, in that respect.

Luuk: What has she done?

Brigitte: Performances, photography, theater, and music. She was of course the director of DASArts [Amsterdam University program] for a while, a number of years. I first learned of her through television programs. She could actually control any situation and then also improvise, but also with her deep knowledge of her own perspective. At the same time she was also already busy pushing all the boundaries of the forms and media that she used.

Luuk: Do you have an example of that?

Brigitte: For example, on television, she broadcasted live four times at the Holland festival, in the 80s. There's a very famous example, one year there was a huge, big, noisy concert by… I believe, Glenn Branker. The classical music orchestra, comprised of police officers, found it so terrible that some of the orchestra walked right out. It's live, which is of course terrible, but she knew how to recover right away and sang a beautiful aria there.

Luuk: Without the orchestra then?

Brigitte: Well, with a few orchestra members who had stuck around, who also thought it was funny. And just that you can do that without completely collapsing, I think that's really great. And it also produces something very beautiful and moving.

Luuk: Yes, so disruptive, but not pointless in the end. [?]

Brigitte: No, that was it indeed. I was just really curious about what happens when you do something like that live with all kinds of music together. Usually those are separate genres of course. That was then and even more so now I believe, but they were very good at breaking it down.

Luuk: And what about her visual artwork? Because that's what you know her from, tell me what she was like as a visual artist.

Brigitte: Very constructive, but at the same time I found it visually appealing. Once I was in Fort Asperen [a historical fort that is now a park / event space / museum?] at the time. I was joking [unclear] and I asked her, would you like to design heaven, and she was very keen to do so. What you normally expect from a visual artist is that he or she will place objects in a space, but she absolutely did not do that. She simply had the entire space, the top floor of Fort Asperen, completely washed with green soap and painted completely white. So you had a completely empty space with three white benches per room or hall. They were the only things in the room with white light, you sat there, there was nothing to hear either, except for the natural sounds of the environment, so heaven was inside yourself then. A lot of people got very nervous about that, but if you could handle it, and went up another set of stairs where you could hear a kind of crackling electrical sound, then you ended up on the roof of Fort Asperen and there was a beautiful reception with tables where there was water, bread, grapes, and olives and then you could just stay.

Luuk: Yes, so you were first forced to be confined with yourself, then you could emerge.

Brigitte: Heaven is unimaginable in many beliefs. But she makes a whole conceptual space of it, so that you really come back and look into yourself.

Luuk: Yes, and then you have the Angels here, also somewhat related to heaven. Are those common themes in her work?

Brigitte: I often think, the opportunity creates the work for her. I asked her to do the [unclear] after the heaven project. This work was the first iteration of Engelen/Angels. I had a car without a radio at the time, so I had to buy one.

Luuk: [unclear]

Brigitte: Yes, especially for this work, because I really want to hear that. Then I took my then still small daughter in the back of the car. I thought it would be nice for her too. So she can hear Angels for the first time in her life. As far as I know, it was just a request from a foundation to design a shelter or something with the rest up to the artist. For her, the car was the shelter. And I feel very related to that, because I always love being in a car. I really feel like a kind of free space without being distracted by others. And when I did indeed drive up the dike, I parked somewhere and my daughter just slept in the back, like a toddler. And then I looked at the beautiful sea with light and listened to the Angels.

Luuk: What was that experience like, the first time you heard the Angels?

Brigitte: Well, for me it's special, because I grew up completely non-religious or even anti-religious. My father was an ex-Catholic and they had done everything with religion. So that's why I was very intrigued by everything that was religious as a child. I registered myself with a church and things like that. So for me it was a kind of magical world as a child. And soon I got to know people from my own family, who were all very religious. Then I immediately understood that it was actually a bit of a washout [?]. And by my adolescent years, I was not religious anymore. But still had a curiosity about things that you cannot see. As art historians we always continue to honor that of course. Angels are often depicted and certainly in the Renaissance. But to hear it, that is something very special. So I think it's a very spiritual experience.

Luuk: We hear her own voice, right?

Brigitte: Yes, her own voices. With her it is always plural, because she has so many different kinds of voices. It is not like she is a soprano and then she sings one kind of song, but she can also sing very ugly. She can put on all the different voices.

Luuk: She has done that often, it is always about stretching the medium in which she is working. Here, too of course, you are given the assignment to make a bus shelter and you end up on a station, an FM station, so things are completely set to her hand.

Brigitte: Yes, I find this work very interesting, also with another work that developed at the same time, Le Doulœur Contemporain [unclear ?]. It is also a work with voices and you set them in motion when you walked into her installation of all loudspeakers. [unclear transition] In the early nineties or the Berlin wall fell. There were the Bosnian wars that were really so close to Europe for the first time since the Second World War. You had Rwanda, there were really terrible things going on. And I think that is the beautiful thing, because she has the Angel Transmitter that is very spiritual and very hopeful. Because she also speaks words, such as hope and love and perhaps even more. I don't remember that anymore. But Le Doulœur [?] was just a counterpart. There were all those [tragedies?], mainly women, but also men, who experienced horrible things. That could have been war, but I happened to read that today. Because I wanted to dig up something more after all those decades. But that it was also about sports, for example, that were very airy themselves, that they had lost. So it's not just about the world's suffering, but it's also about the personal clothing of people. Here you are also thrown back on yourself. And there too, what is the pain there and what is the hope here. So that's very beautiful, I think.

Luuk: Yes, each group on its own because you are in your own shaped space, where you can cry, where you can laugh. You are sung to directly. You said it at the beginning, it is a conceptual work, but visually often very good too. Yes. This is an audio work, but at the same time there is an image of the environment.

Brigitte: She really makes sublime use of the environment. Let's go over it. Well, this vast landscape, that's just so beautiful in itself. And she adds an element to it, which gives you a kind of heightened experience of this environment as well. So the entire environment is included in her work. They are not separate things, they have become one entity because of that.

Luuk: It is beautifully wide, indeed. You can also imagine that if Angel’s voices are heard somewhere in the Netherlands, it is here. It also reminds me a bit of the siren and the story from antiquity.

Brigitte: Yes, fortunately we are not on the rocks.

Luuk: They did indeed lure ships to the rocks to let them sink. Those kinds of concepts play a role, so she also makes a kind of timeless gesture here.

Brigitte: Yes, references to ancient cultures and ancient history and myths. So in that sense she takes a lot with the person who experiences this of course. That is also nicer about this work, that it is so free to have your own conclusions or thoughts or associations about it.

Luuk: I read in the article you wrote about her, that she thought that art in public space should not be pushed in your face, that it should be subtle.

Brigitte: I think that's really beautiful, because certainly you think a lot of artists should be able to do everything, everywhere. And Moniek was one of the first for me to be there. Yes, there are limits, because everything you do in public space... nobody asks for it. And you can really shock people, that's very easy. Which alienates people from art, but also from a sense of community, people no longer feel comfortable. I also know that she actually just thought that not everything should always be there. You shouldn't always present humanity with the same works.

Luuk: Yes, exactly. It's also a bit in that spirit, because you have to make quite an effort to get here.

Brigitte: Yes, rent or have a car and buy a radio.

Luuk: Yes, or now download an app and you can only listen when you're nearby. The app signals that you're nearby and then it starts. You have to work for it.

Brigitte: Yes, but I think that's a good thing, because it seems like everyone thinks that art should be very easily accessible, but I also agreed with her. Everything that is worth it, you have to make an effort for. Otherwise you just get a kind of fast food artwork, which is very easy to swallow, but then you lose it. The Angel Transmitter really resonated with me for a long time and I think that it is also very nice to experience that and to really make an effort for it. It also just makes you think of things that you cannot see, that they can still be there, which is very normal in a lot of cultures, but less so in the West. There are those are things that you do not see, but that are just there. And artists are very capable of showing us that these things continue while you’re in your own daily activities.

Luuk: Thank you.

Sources

Land Art Flevoland. “Engelen (‘Angels’), FM 98.0 (1994).” Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.landartflevoland.nl/en/land-art/engelen-angels-fm-98.0-1994/.
Land Art Lives. “Lokaal Netwerk Flevolab Tour: Land Art Lives 2024 Program.” Accessed October 28, 2024. https://landartlives.nl/en/program-land-art-lives-2024/lokaal-netwerk-flevolab-tour/.
Veersma, Nicole. “Nonprofit Art Initiatives and Engagement in the Flevoland Region.” University of Amsterdam, accessed October 28, 2024. https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/152890460/nkjo-article-p164_8.pdf.
Instagram. “Land Art Flevoland: Engelen (‘Angels’) Highlight Reel.” Instagram video, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cldm0rgo4Sk/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet.

Kwan Ng 9/16/24 Kwan Ng 9/16/24

Ugo Rondinone, Seven Magic Mountains, 2013 - Sloan, Nevada (May, 2024)

Background

Featuring seven, 30 to 35-feet high dayglow totems comprised of painted, locally-sourced boulders, Seven Magic Mountains sits just outside of Las Vegas, bright and colorful, visible from I-15 (the main highway connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The piece is located just on the edge of Jean Dry Lake. Where to Michael Heizer did Rift 1 (a zig-zag trench in 1968, the first of Nine Nevada Depression works) and where Jean Tinguely did a performance installtion called Study for an End of the World No. 2 (a kinetic sculpture of items from a nearby landfill that self-destructed).

Inspired by the hoodoos (think Bryce Canyon) and cairns, Ugo Rondinone spent five years to complete the project. It cost $3.5 million to complete, organized by the Nevada Museum of Art (the state’s only art museum, in Reno) and the Art Production Fund. They needed to get special permits of course and improve the roads. There is also a structural pole inside each one holding them together, they aren’t just placed on top of one another.

I highly recommend watching this video, as it is the best background on it.

Travel

One of the rarer land art pieces with a plaque, parking lot, and easy to access. It’s about a 25 minute drive south from the Vegas’ airport or strip. There is no offroading, just an easy parking lot to pull into off of an exit from a major highway. There’s space for 50 cars, though I doubt there would ever be that many cars here at once. It’s visible from the I-15. There are no fees to visit either.

It’s flat, but the parking lot and the path / area around the art piece are not paved, although pretty flat. It’s about a 100 yard walk from the lot to the cairn like structures. My only advice, if you care, is to consider what time of day you’re visiting, just from a perspective of where you want the sun to be when you’re taking pictures. You can spend as little as a few minutes there, so while there are no facilities at all, it shouldn’t be too hard to get back in your vehicle and leave to find civilization again.

As per usual, there are no trash cans, and the rule is obviously to leave no trace. However, there was an unfortunate amount of litter in the area. Please be better than those people. The paint on the lower rocks was certainly chipping and fading in areas due to interaction with people.

There’s not too much else I would recommend art-wise in the area. There’s a Meow Wolf in Las Vegas which fits the land art vibe to an extent, and the Sphere is comically expensive and ridiculous, but probably worth seeing a show at (when we were there it was the Grateful Dead and we weren’t particularly interested in seeing them). Perhaps the best thing to do is just relax at a pool and treat this city as the desert oasis that it is.

Experience

We visited on a Saturday in May, before our morning flight to return to New York. There was one vehicle of people there wrapping up, one that showed up for about a minute to see it (just from the car, they didn’t even get out), and another that arrived while we were leaving. I have read via other reviews that it does get pretty crowded. We were there around 7 am, so that is quite early.

I had difficulty getting a good picture of them. They are sorta haphazardly placed, though I’m sure it was purposeful. It was nearly impossible to get all 7 in a good single panoramic shot from within, and I tried many times. The weather was perfect, with blue skies and some clouds to provide contrast and texture. It’s worth going right up to them and weaving through. They are quite large. With more sunlight, the paints are supposed to get more intense and wildly bright.

Summary

It’s worth a quick drive if you’re in Las Vegas and have a car. I’m not sure I would suggest paying for a cab to and from, but it’s a beautiful piece of art and a great way to spend some time not in the air conditioned post capitalist nightmare that those casinos are.

Sources

Seven Magic Mountains. "About." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://sevenmagicmountains.com/about/.
Seven Magic Mountains. "Timeline." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://sevenmagicmountains.com/timeline/.
Center for Land Use Interpretation. "RIFT #1, Jean Dry Lake." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://clui.org/ludb/site/rift-1-jean-dry-lake.
Criticismism. "Jean Tinguely: Study for an End of the World No. 2 (1962)." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://criticismism.com/jean-tinguely-study-for-an-end-of-the-world-no-2-1962/.
Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Jean Tinguely." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Tinguely#ref290923.
Artnews. "This Magic Moment: Ugo Rondinone Places ‘Seven Mountains’ in the Desert Outside Las Vegas." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/this-magic-moment-ugo-rondinone-places-seven-mountains-in-the-desert-outside-las-vegas-6438/.
YouTube. "Ugo Rondinone: Seven Magic Mountains." Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDqbobusO80.

Kwan Ng 8/27/24 Kwan Ng 8/27/24

Michael Heizer, Double Negative, 1969 - Moapa Valley, Nevada (May, 2024)

Background

Double Negative consists of two trenches cut into the eastern edge of the Mormon Mesa, Nevada. The trenches are perfectly aligned across a gap formed by the natural shape of the mesa edge. Including this open area across the gap, the manmade canyon measures 1,500 feet long. Both trenches are 50 feet deep, and 30 feet wide. A reported 240,000 tons of rock were displaced to create this canyon.

Double Negative is Michael Heizer's first prominent earthwork, completed between 1969-1970. “There is nothing there, yet it is still a sculpture.” The name stems from its… doubly negative nature. First, that unlike most art, he subtracted from his canvas instead of adding something. Second, the majority of the canyon has to be imagined in the empty space between the two trenches.

A view of both trenches from basically as close to the middle of them as you can get (the empty space)

As one of the earliest and largest installations of land art, it set the precedent. Challenging the boundary between art and nature, always encouraging viewers to consider their relation to earth and art. It is as permanent of a classic land art piece as it gets; and it really thematically aligns with the anti-gallery aspect of the Land Art movement.

Mormon Mesa rises up from the small town of Moapa Valley, just a couple hours from Las Vegas. At about 570 feet tall, with the town of Moapa Valley at around 400 feet, meaning you only have to climb 170ish feet of elevation in your vehicle. Over on the Virgin Valley side with Double Negative (opposite side from the town), the drop off is a bit steeper, the river being another 100 feet lower at around 300 feet.

From above the south trench's western wall

It is owned by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. But according to Heizer’s wishes, there is a no conservation pledge, so nature will eventually reclaim the site.

Travel

The nearest major airport is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Double Negative is a 2 and a half hour drive northeast of Las Vegas. There’s a slightly faster route along I-15, but the route mapped below goes through Valley of Fire State Park, which is a worthwhile park to check out. Moapa Valley is the nearest town to the art piece. There aren’t a lot of restaurant or hotel options in the area, but they are there. Double Negtative is about a 30-45 minute drive from the town, give yourself 45 minutes so you don’t rush the final off road section, and risk your vehicle. You must rent a car to get there, there aren’t any public transportation options.

From Moapa Valley, head to the Overton Municipal Airport and drive on Mormon Mesa Road past it. You’ll drive up a gradual paved road (switches to a pretty solid dirt road about 3/4 of the way up) to the ridge at that pin called Heart of the Mesa. Once you’re over it, the rest of the route is flat, but on rougher dirt roads. The first section on the mesa is pretty doable in any car, but by the time you hit the far side it can only be described as rock paths. A higher clearance vehicle would be helpful, just to avoid some of the larger obstructions. Just go slow. There are multiple intersecting ways to do that final leg, we tended to take the interior option just to stay away from the edge, but it is pretty easy to see during the day, and you aren’t ever up against. I would not suggest doing it in the night. We were there at dawn, and the light was pretty good. The biggest risk is a flat tire from a rock.

There is plenty of space to park, nothing demarcated. We parked by the southern canyon, and walked around. It is free to visit, there are no fees or plaques of any sort. Standard rules of leave no trace apply. People were pretty respectful, we didn’t see any trash around, just the remnants of a couple firepits. There are obviously no buildings or facilities. So bring your own water and snacks. There are no barriers or safety features either, you could easily slip and fall into the canyon or off the mesa, so step lightly and be careful. Large portions of the canyon have collapsed since it was excavated, so it is by no means confidently stable.

The southern canyon is much longer than the northern canyon. There is no way to walk through one canyon and out the other, the mesa gives way and there isn’t a clean way to walk across. You have to walk around the top to visit the other side. The northern canyon is steeper and doesn’t have as much space for you to walk around within. The southern canyon is more gradual and easier to descend, as well as having a lower shelf that you can walk around.

Experience

We went in May, 2024; arrived at 5:45 am on a Sunday morning at Double Negative. It took us about 40ish minutes from our motel in Moapa Valley. We were just a tad late for sunrise, but that’s on us because we were a little sluggish getting out of bed that early. We were the only vehicle on the road, and the only people at Double Negative. We stayed for about 3 hours, and didn’t see or hear anyone else until we left the Mesa and saw a couple of dirtbikers riding up.

Sunrise comes over the mountains to the east. The weather was perfectly clear, still, and beautiful. Silence, except for our footsteps and the wind, and occasional moos from cows in the valley. The valley in the background is defined by the Virgin River. There were no buildings visible, but there was a herd of cows grazing within it. Pictures we had seen previously of Double Negative neglect to demonstrate the color disparity between the green valley, the beige mesa, and blue sky. It’s a beautiful vista regardless of the installation.

Going at either dawn or dusk is probably best since the sun isn’t as strong, there isn’t really any shade cover. We definitely recommend bringing a jacket as the mesa can be breezy and cold before the sun starts warming up. Plus you get the light and shadow coming across the man made excavated canyon. The walls of the canyon have caved in at points, really just succumbing to nature over the decades. I wouldn’t stand too close to the edges. That said… we obviously got some cool pictures with Mattos relatively near where Double Negative and the Mesa meet.

South Trench Sunrise (Landscape)

North Trench

North Trench with Sun

South Trench

It does seem like the best vantage points are from above; drone footage seems like a great way to view the clean and precise line across the mesa gap. We don’t own a drone, so just standing at either end is the best way to take it in.

We ate dinner the night before at La Fonda Mexican Food (weirdly overpriced and only okay, but there aren’t a lot of options), and had breakfast at Kuppa Joe Coffee after visiting Double Negative. We drove north from there and went up to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah. The land of excellent soda and pellet ice.

Both parks were gorgeous and we highly recommend you visit. I won’t delve too far into them, as they honestly deserve their own featurette. Perhaps I should start a park blog (but let’s be honest, I don’t go to enough and there are plenty of great park blogs already out there). The picture on the left above is a view from Bryce’s ridge (which you drive along) down into their canyon. It is as unique of a canyon as it gets, with these really cool hoodoos everywhere. That’s what those narrow peaks are called. It’s also a very convenient park for anyone who doesn’t like hiking as you can get great views of most of it along the main park road. On the right above, is a lesser visited section of Zion, called Kolob Canyons. This was at the Timber Creek Overlook Trail, an easy short flat hike from the end of the road. I hear because we visited in May, it was still rather green, by the mid summer it dries out and there isn’t nearly as much vegetation.

Private vehicles have to pay $35 to get into either park for the day or $70 for an annual pass (for just one park). You might as well upgrade to the America the Beautiful pass for $80. Gaining you access to all National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands for a year. We did it, and it pays for itself fast. Plus money for parks is a good spend. You’re not going to regret that expenditure. Though it should be noted that ordering online does take a long time for delivery, so it’s recommended that you just do it in person, it’s pretty fast.

Above is a panorama from the top of Angel’s Landing, a terrifying crowded hike / climb, that was easily the most dangerous I’ve ever done. I did not enjoy it. It’s a there and back, along the same narrow precarious route, so I coudn’t really relax at the top and enjoy the vista. We heard from others doing it, that it was the least crowded they had seen it, by a factor of 3-4. I have no idea how you could do it with that many people there. At narrow bottlenecking points, you have to wait and let people come from the other direction before you can go in. This hike does require a separate permit application (this link is for the spring, there’s another one for the summer). We tried twice and got it on the second try. Every time you apply you have to pay a fee regardless if you get the tickets. A likely necessary evil since they have been helping the National Park Service handle increased traffic and applications and modernized the process; but it doesn’t feel especially great since a substantial portion goes to a Booz Allen Hamilton / Recreation.gov that run the permits, not the Park’s themselves.

The main canyon of Zion is just ridiculously pretty and has a Jurassic Park like energy. Crowded, but worth it. At sunrise it was beautiful to see the sun rays peek out from the canyon edges. We were also given the advice to drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel from the east, heading west into Zion if you can. We planned out our trip to accommodate this route and it was totally worth it.

Luckily I have friends Jeff and Kelly who work at Bryce as park rangers. They were wonderful hosts and showed us all the best areas of the park, including this cool slot canyon, called Willis Creek, just outside of Bryce. It’s a flat and easy hike, but it’s very cool and reminded me of Petra, Jordan. You don’t want to be caught there during any rain as it can easily flood, so check the forecasts. You also should have a four wheel drive vehicle driving out to it, the dirt roads are on have some elevation changes. We also did a private canyoneering (rappels) tour through Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon with East Zion Adventures and stayed at a glamping ground called Zion Wildflower. Our glamping ground had a lovely cold pool that was really nice to relax in after hiking all day, plus s’mores galore and a hot tub.

On the way to Moapa Valley we went to the nearby Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Underrated and relatively convenient to Las Vegas, we highly recommend you go on some short hikes throughout. There’s a $15 entrance fee per vehicle. And there’s plenty to see with short walks from your vehicle. The Fire Wave hike is perfect for some cool social media pictures. It’s probably the best easily accessible version of famous The Wave feature in Utah.’s Coyote Buttes North. Permits are rather difficult to get, with only 64 people a day getting access to the area.

We didn’t make it to Fire Wave because of a flash storm (you can see the clouds gathering in the pictures, but we did hang out at the nearby Crazy Hill (same parking lot, but closer). With hindsight, I wish we had waited out the storm and gone to Fire Wave, it is only a 1.5 mile round trip hike from the parking lot. We also stumbled upon a proposal (weirdly, three of their friends dressed up in niqabs (to not be recognized I guess) and pretended to be an entirely separate group and took pictures of them during it, only to reveal themselves afterwards).

Summary

This area of the country has incredible nature. National and State parks galore, with relatively easy access via Las Vegas. Double Negative feels more remote than it is, and it is a must see for any Land Art lover. It is absurd and beautiful all at once.

Sources

Tarasen. "Double Negative." Double Negative by Michael Heizer. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://doublenegative.tarasen.net/double-negative.

Museum of Contemporary Art. "Michael Heizer: Double Negative, 1969." Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.moca.org/exhibition/michael-heizer-double-negative-1969.

Anderson, David. "Somewhere on the Road to Nowhere: Double Negative." At Length Magazine. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://atlengthmag.com/art/somewhere-on-the-road-to-nowhere-double-negative/.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation. "Double Negative." The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/double-negative.

Travel Nevada. "Double Negative." Travel Nevada. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://travelnevada.com/arts-culture/double-negative/.

Nevada State Parks. "Valley of Fire State Park." Nevada State Parks. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire.

Visit Southern Utah. "Daily Lottery." Visit Southern Utah. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://visitsouthernutah.com/dailylottery/.

Recreation.gov. "The Wave Permits." Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675310.

Field Mag. "Should Public Lands Be Free? Private Corp Booz Allen Now Operates the Permit System." Field Mag, September 15, 2022. https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/public-lands-fees-private-corp-booz-allen.

Kwan Ng 6/26/24 Kwan Ng 6/26/24

Richard Serra, Iron Mountain Run, 2002 - South Kent, Connecticut (October, 2023)

Background

Iron Mountain Run is comprised of 7 weatherproof steel plates measuring 15’ x 15’ and are 3” thick along a hill in South Kent, CT. They are installed at seemingly random positions starting at the top and gradually sloping downwards to Irvings Pond. ‘From a certain angle they appear to be sliding headlong into a pond.’

The bovine residents of the farm often use the plates as shade (fun fact, other Serra pieces are even used for warmth by sheep as they can absorb heat from the sub throughout the day).

It is on private land owned by collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund. “I [Agnes Gund] once told Richard [Serra], ‘These pieces look tipsy, like they’re drunk!’ and I thought he would get mad,” Gund says, even though the two are longtime friends. “He said, ‘They do have humor.’ ”

Also it’s worth reading about Agnes “Aggie” Gund, she sounds incredible.

Travel / Experience

Iron Mountain Farm is located just west of Iron Mountain Reservation at 140 Geer Mountain Road, South Kent, CT 06785. It is about a 1.5-2 hour drive from New York City. There isn’t a public transportation option out there, so you’ll have to drive yourself. We drove from my parent’s home in Cos Cob.

We parked and viewed from the purple highlighted area on Hidden Hollow Road. You can see the shadows of Iron Mountain Run as they lead from the hill down to the pond.

The work is on private land so you cannot go up to it without permission. It isn’t very visible from Geer Mountain Road due to the topography, but there is a side road called Hidden Hollow Drive that is easy to park on and has a great view of the mountain, pond, and art piece. This road may technically be a driveway, as it only leads to one house at the end of it, but I’m sure it isn’t a big issue if you’re respectful and don’t trespass.

I’d recommend an SUV or driving with something with a bit of height that you can use as a ladder to get a better angle on it. You won’t spend too long here since you shouldn’t wander their property, but it does look like a lovely and beautiful place to picnic and spend some time. We parked on the side of Hidden Hollow Drive, and spent about 5 minutes just enjoying the view, fresh air, and quiet. My parents were quite amused and found it a fun excursion on an autumn weekend day. Certainly elevated with a bit of foliage, I’d suggest visiting during peak, and it would be even more beautiful.

Kent is in pink, Bantam in orange, and Iron Mountain Run in blue

Iron Mountain Run is located ten minutes southeast and twenty minutes west of the towns of Kent and Bantam respectively. Kent has a walkable downtown that’s worth a gander. We ate at Swyft, a fantastic casual restaurant, the affordable walk-in accepted sister of the fancier and pricier Ore Hill (in the same building). We showed up as a foursome for lunch on a Saturday and were sat immediately at the bar (despite there being no reservations available online). There was additional seating outside, but it was a bit too brisk to be comfortable for some people in our party.

Colin's Bachelor Party Dinner at Materia

Can't get enough of Litchfield Distillery

Bantam isn’t walkable, but it has a couple other great food and drink options. We spent time in the area for my brother’s bachelor party earlier that year in May. Swing by the Litchfield Distillery for some of Connecticut’s finest liquor. I’m a huge advocate of them; my brother and I have matching baseball caps, I have a bottle of their whiskey as a staple in my home bar, and Mattos has gotten wasted on their Espresso Martini (premade small-batch cocktail bottle). For a great dinner try Materia or Arethusa al tavolo. Both are fantastic, the latter also has a casual cafe across the street.

Summary

It isn’t worth a separate trip as you can’t explore the property without trespassing on Aggie Gund’s land, and given her bio, she deserves our respect. Swing by and enjoy it from a distance if you happen to be in the area. Litchfield County has plenty of great food, walking trails, back country winding drives, and peaceful rolling vistas to make a nice weekend escape for city folk.

Sources

David Zwirner. "Richard Serra: Iron Mountain Run." David Zwirner. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.davidzwirner.com/artworks/richard-serra-iron-mountain-run-6bf32.
Smith, Roberta. "The Reinvented Visions of Richard Serra." The Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2015. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-reinvented-visions-of-richard-serra-1446687924.
Schuessler, Jennifer. "Agnes Gund, the Unapologetic Art Collector." The New York Times, November 3, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/style/agnes-gund-philanthropy.html.

Kwan Ng 6/13/24 Kwan Ng 6/13/24

Walter De Maria, Lightning Field, 1977 - Quemado, New Mexico (September, 2023)

Background

400 polished stainless steel poles (about two inches in diameter and average 20 feet and 7 inches high) with pointed tips have been installed in a rectangular grid pattern measuring one mile by one kilometer; each pole 220 feet apart from one another. It is in the relatively remote central west region of New Mexico, about a 2 and a half hour drive from Albuquerque.

Designed by Walter De Maria in 1977, the poles are designed to attract lightning. De Maria selected this location specifically for its relatively high number of electrical storms. He and his team viewed multiple locations throughout the southwest before settling on this empty plateau.

Similar to Richard Serra’s East-West/West-East, the poles are all technically different heights, due to the different elevations on the ground, and all of them top out at the same height. So you could technically lay a 1.61 square kilometer plate on top of it and it would lay flat. Each pole is set in its own concrete footing, sturdily designed to survive through winds and elements.

Dia, who maintains and operates the site rightly suggests that despite the name, the experience is not dependent on you actually seeing any lightning. Actually if lightning strikes any of the poles, it actually damages them, and they have to replace them with new ones. But the full experience is much more than lightning. With quintissential land art ethos, Lightning Field simply convinces you to spend time in this remote location, using the art to help focus on the nature and landscape surrounding it and you. From a distance, you can barely see the poles, they often blur into the background. Spending long stretches of time outside, especially through sunrise and sunset are picturesque. On top of all of that, you have little to no reception, plus are required to stay on site in a cabin for the evening.

Also, Dia requests that in keeping with the artist’s wishes, photography of The Lightning Field and the cabin is prohibited. I’ll respect this and not post any direct images of either; only of the surrounding areas. So pictures in this post will be minimal, but it wouldn’t really matter much, no picture can really capture the experience.

Dia hosts visitors from May to October, one group of 6 is allowed daily. Reservations are required and elusive. It costs $250 per person per night in the peak months of July and August, and $150 per person per night in the two months preceding and two months following that. The site is open between May and October annually, and booking requests open at midnight on February 1st. You email lightningfield@diaart.org with your reservation request details: number of guests in the party, preferred reservation dates, as well as alternative reservation dates. Below is the request I sent.

You’ll receive this automated response. Considering the flood of emails they get, I imagine it is absolute chaos to try and coordinate this manually. I would not expect back a reply other than the automated one, through not fault of their own, it’s just unfeasible.

At some point, probably around a 3-4 weeks after the submissions open, you can join the waitlist. Which we did, after not hearing from the original submission. This form is a lot more defined and I imagine way more helpful to parse out and organize. The link is https://diaart.wufoo.com/forms/the-lightning-field-2023-waitlist if you change the year in the URL, it seems to work for the appropriate year, i.e. https://diaart.wufoo.com/forms/the-lightning-field-2024-waitlist. I’d highly suggest doing this as it seemed to improve your odds greatly. In our group of 6, 4 of us were off the waitlist. We selected 2-4 weeks notice, as we obviously would need a bit of time to plan to get out there.

Travel

If you get a reservation, you’ll have to drive to 3469 US-60, Quemado, NM 87829 (the Dia Art Foundation office). This is about two and a half hour drive southwest of Albuquerque International Sunport (we need to take a moment and recognize how cool it is that their airport is called the Sunport). It’s a smooth and easy drive with no offroading, there’s no need for an SUV / AWD. You park at the office in a small town (don’t leave valuables in your vehicle obviously, but all three of our cars were fine and untouched when we returned to them), and transfer over to the Dia SUV along with the other visitors and they drive the six of you together to the cabin / installation. They request that you all arrive by 2 PM MT, and to not be late otherwise you may be left behind. Everyone was there around 1 PM and because we were all present, they took us over early. This part of the drive is on some less used roads (takes about an hour), but it’ll be via their vehicle.

Below is our route we took to and from Quemado / Lightning Field.

The farthest pin to the southwest is the Dia Art Foundation office in Quemado; the pin to the northeast of it is Lightning Field’s cabin

Lightning Field is located at 34°31'10.6"N 108°06'21.6"W. It is on and surrounded by private land, so respect that you should not trespass and visit it on your own. There are a few shops in Quemado that you can pick up a drinks and snacks in case you want to bring those along to the cabin. However, if you want more options, I’d certainly suggest picking it up in Albuquerque. There’s also a gas station, so don’t worry about fiiling up. Though when we were there, there was a very large vehicle carrying a wind turbine blade and it blocked a good portion of the station.

As mentioned before, Lightning Field costs $150 per person per night for the shoulder months of May, June, September, and October. It increases to $250 per person per night for the peak (lightning likelihood) months of July and August. Given the 2 hour round trip drive, accommodations, two meals (dinner and breakfast), this actually was a pretty good deal (for the shoulder months).

Along the route to Quemado, there are some interesting detours worth taking. Along the northern route, we cannot advocate more for the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum at the Acoma Pueblo. This beautiful and ancient American town has existed since 1150 AD, atop a sheer-walled 367 sandstone plateau. Visit and support the Acoma people. There is a new museum facility with a cafeteria, clean bathrooms, and cold water. They have some respectful local artisans in the courtyard offering some really cool Native American gifts. You do not need a reservation for a group under 9 people. I believe tickets were $54 for the two of us, but I don’t have a solid record of this (may have included the tip as well, unclear).

We were the only two there for the first tour of the day as we wanted to do it the morning before we had to arrive in Quemado, but they had us wait for a prescheduled large group of elderly alumni from the University of Wisconsin Badgers. They arrived late, and they moved slowly, so our tour took about twice as long as they estimated, but it was a great experience. We helped push some wheelchairs through non-ADA areas, and they were very lovely company. And we still had plenty of time to drive to Quemado afterwards and make it to Dia with plenty of time to spare.

Pictures don’t do it justice, and we were asked not to take a picture of the cemetery, which was a top tier cemetery. I’d place it up there with Normandy American (France), Calvary (Queens, NY), and Bonaventure (Savannah, GA). There are some great views and cool buildings. It is a unique little town that is very cool to visit.

On the southern route is the NRAO Very Large Array, famous from the film Contact. These 27 giant radio telescope attennas work as a group in different configurations, moved along rails. The formation we saw was quite a wider and spread out version, but it must be pretty cool when they’re in a tighter formation. There’s a visitor center with a documentary narrated by Jodie Foster (she played the main character in Contact), some exhibits, bathrooms, and a gift shop (though the website says it’s now closed). We did not pay for the admission, but just showed up and figured we got the vibes and moved on. It is cool to see them, sort of a simultaneously larger and smaller modern version of Lightning Field. They’re right next to and intersecting the highway, so it’s hard to miss. Another pair from Lightning Field that we stayed with also swung by this on the way back to Albuquerque. It’s also not far from a place called PieTown, with, you guessed it, pie.

Farther away, but places we also coupled with this trip are Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Bandelier National Monument. This post is getting a little long, so I’ll cut our experiences over there from this and just use a few pictures. Quick notes:

Santa Fe is home to the first Meow Wolf, it’s chaotic and hard to explain, but it can be a good time. This one actually has a venue space for concerts which looks like it would be really fun.
Santa Fe is also famous for its margaritas, so get plenty of them. There’s even a “trail” you can follow.
The famous Los Alamos guardpost picture is a roadside attraction now, and rebuilt for tourism pictures.
There’s a local Los Alamos brewery with a beer called Hoppenheimer.
The fourth Saturday of September is National Public Lands Day, which means all parks are free!

Experience

Exactly four weeks ahead (08/21/23) of our potential visit date (09/21/23) we received a Waitlist Offer. They give you until the end of the next business day to respond and confirm. We had about 29 hours to mull it over and respond. We frantically looked at our plans figured out what we could move around and in 3 hours and 18 minutes responded that we would take the reservation. You fill out some forms, waivers, and payment. And the administrator (Darby in this case) is very helpful in holding your hand through the process and confirming it all went through and you’re good to go.

It just so happened that we decided to take a trip to Utah in September, 2023. We had booked it in June, originally intending for a long weekend (between Friday and Tuesday, costing us only 2 PTO days). Our round trip cost was $287.80 per person for LGA-SLC. It cost us $198.90 per person to book a one way between SLC-ABQ and $133.90 per person one way from ABQ-LGA. We waited until we took the first leg from LGA-SLC, then cancelled the return leg. We were credited $158.90 each through Delta, I guess it’s more expensive to fly to New York than to fly out of New York, as our credit was 55% of our original round trip ticket. This credit expires one year from when you booked the flight (not when you were supposed to fly). So, this additional destination was a net cost of $173.90 per person.

We woke up early on our Lightning Field day to go to the aforementioned Acoma Pueblo. We arrived in Quemado a little after 1 pm, along with the other visitors, and we hit the road before the 2 pm deadline since we were all present and ready. Beforehand we had picked up some beer and wine to enjoy on the grounds. We were in good company, as both other parties did the same. Dalton, our driver and host, facilitated some introductions and answered questions on the drive over. He resides nearby somewhere, but out of eyesight. Fun fact: Carlton County is pretty rural and remote. In 1994 (though for various other reasons) the county passed a resolution urging every household to own a gun… there were no guns on the property as far as I could tell.

What really sets visiting Lightning Field apart from other pieces was the time it took and the strangers you stay with. It’s a 20-22 hour experience, and it will be six of you. In our case (and it sounds like most), we were forced to interact with four strangers that we would never have met in our lives. Sharing a wood homesteading cabin in the middle of nowhere. It has a kitchen, and a spacious living / dining room with pellet stoves for warmth in the evening. Two bedrooms and one bathroom are accessible from the living room, with an additional bedroom and ensuite bathroom only accessible from the exterior. There’s a wraparound porch around half the space, facing west and south. The installation is south of the cabin.

Now while it is called Lightning Field, we were in a shoulder season with a low chance of lightning. It really didn’t hinder our experience. The following evening had rain and lightning on the forecast, so it’s possible the next group caught some, but who knows. The experience was kind of what I want cabin glamping to be like. Remote nature, but solid modern accommodations, with friendly strangers sharing stories, food, and drinks.

Two of our companions were an older married couple of civil engineers (I believe) from the Albuquerque area. They balked at the fact that we ate at the Monte Carlo Liquors & Steak House the night before. They had gotten off the waitlist earlier that week. Finally being able to attend after more than a decade of applications. They were surprised it was our first try. They seemed to represent New Mexico well; with their grudge with Arizona and believing in UFOs. They opted to take the bedroom with the separate entrance and dedicated bathroom. The other two were lifelong friends who leave their husbands to do girls’ trips. They too have seemed to have applied for around a decade to get to Lightning Field. Both were from the east coast, Philly and New York I believe. They took the twin bed bedroom.

After claiming our room and dropping our bags off, we immediately took off and went straight into the field. There’s a well trodden path around the perimeter, but any previous trail through the interior has faded through lack of repetition. We walked to the far side, where there were a couple of meandering cows on the other side of a fence. The grid of poles is pretty perfect. As you walk past them, you can always have endless rows of poles disappear behind other poles. The elevation changes and regrowth of nature over the years creates a fascinating juxtaposition of man made mathematical angles versus natural imperfections.

Sunset and Sunrise were dramatic, accentuated by the uniform lightning changes across the poles. The slight glimmer and reflection is unique. Don’t miss them. At certain angles, all the poles can just appear and disappear in the light. Changing color, refracting across their coordinated polished bodies.

Dinner was scheduled to be after sunset, we placed the enchiladas in the oven beforehand, and timed it so no one would miss the sunset. We all sat together at the dining table, with drinks and food galore. It was a unique experience, to have a two hour intimate dinner with strangers.

While Mattos walked the perimeter a few times, I spent most of the afternoon sitting on the porch reading. I had delayed finishing my book, just for this location. I listened to the wind ripple across the plains, every so often distracted by the occasional rabbit that popped by or a walker completing an excursion and returning to the cabin. The book was recommended by my friend Avery, called Empire of the Summer Moon. A historical narrative of the American frontier during the 19th century, set mostly in Comancheria, the land of the Comanches (now parts of modern day Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). While we were located outside of the territory, it still have the right vibes. Especially descriptions of the “vast sea of land”. It’s a powerful and fascinating preservation of history. Plus its always sort of cool when “my name” kind of appears in media.

The stars were generally clearer than this

The moon and stars were bright, thanks in part to how remote we were and that we were in a dark sky territory. I like to anchor most night photos with a subject, and in this case I used the cabin, which meant I only have the one photo that I am able to share. Mattos had difficulty sleeping, because we were in a strange creaky and drafty frontier cabin with no locks. But, to be fair to her, some of our companions in the middle of the night went to view the stars again. So there were noises and footsteps coming from outside.

Summary

I highly recommend that everyone go and experience Lightning Field. De Maria once said that “Isolation is the essence of land art” and there is certainly some truth to that. The journey is a challenge and the destination is all the sweeter for it. I recognize that last minute planning and a surprise trip to the Land of Enchantment isn’t exactly the coolest thing to do, but if you can pull it off, it’ll be worth it. A detox from technology and speed, combined with connecting with humans, nature, and art, was a wonderful experience.

Sources

Dia Art Foundation. "Walter De Maria: The Lightning Field." Dia Art Foundation. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/walter-de-maria-the-lightning-field.
Dia Art Foundation. "Walter De Maria, The Lightning Field, 1977." Dia Art Foundation. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.diaart.org/collection/collection/de-maria-walter-the-lightning-field-1977-1977-003-1-400/.
Wikipedia. "The Lightning Field." Wikipedia. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lightning_Field.
Khan Academy. "Walter De Maria, The Lightning Field." Khan Academy. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/post-war-american-art/minimalism-and-earthworks/a/walter-de-maria-the-lightning-field.
Nathan Goldman. "Walter De Maria’s The Lightning Field Is a Modern Masterpiece." The Atlantic, November 4, 2022. https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/11/walter-de-maria-lightning-field-art-installation/672035/.
Public Delivery. "Walter De Maria: The Lightning Field." Public Delivery. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://publicdelivery.org/walter-de-maria-lightning-field/.
Kenneth Baker. "The Lightning Field." Artforum. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.artforum.com/features/the-lightning-field-208912/.
Kelly Klaasmeyer. "A Day in the Life of The Lightning Field." Gagosian Quarterly, March 26, 2021. https://gagosian.com/quarterly/2021/03/26/essay-day-life-lightning-field/.
Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer. "At The Lightning Field." X-TRA, March 22, 2021. https://www.x-traonline.org/article/at-the-lightning-field.
Atlas Obscura. "The Lightning Field." Atlas Obscura. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lightning-field.
Acoma Sky City. "Tours." Acoma Sky City. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.acomaskycity.org/page/tours.

Kwan Ng 5/2/24 Kwan Ng 5/2/24

Nancy Holt, Sun Tunnels, 1973-1976 - Wendover, Utah (September, 2023)

Background

Four large concrete cylinders site on a 40 acre plot in the Great Basin Desert in empy northwestern area of Utah, arranged in a cross pattern, that align with the sunrise and sunset on the summer and winter solstices. Each cylinder has an outside diameter of 9’2.5” and an inside diameter of 8’, and each one weights 22 tons.

Designed by Nancy Holt, each of the cylinders has holes bored through it to represent constellations. Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn are each one cylinder respectively. As far as we could tell, they do not align with the sky correctly… however, when the sun comes through, the interior of the cylinder will be illuminated to show the respective constellation. Different hole sizes based on the magnitude of the stars of which they correspond to.

A close up of the holes from the interior fo one of the columns, creates a fun keyhole style view of the surrounding vast landscape

It’s in a large flat valley with little vegetation, worn down by the receded Lake Bonneville (of the Bonneville Salt Flats). It’s remote and relatively inconvenient to get to, which is kind of the point.

Holt is one of the best known land artists, and this is her best known piece.

Travel

You can only get here by car, though I suppose you could walk if you had a lot of time and were in good shape. Any standard GPS should be able to get you there with no problem. You want to get on Highway West 80 (which turns into Highway 233 / Montello Road in Nevada). It is a normal well paved highway that is clearly marked. You’ll turn off on Pilot Mountain Road (dirt road), towards the ghost town of Lucin. You’ll cross some train tracks, and just keep following the map for Sun Tunnels. You can technically follow these dirt roads south (if you want to head to Wendover), but the speed you’ll be able to go isn’t worth the distance, you might as well return North (along the route I described), and reconnect with Highway 80 to go south again.

This is the 11 mile portion that is on dirt roads, progressively getting less consistent as you get closer to Sun Tunnels

There are no facilities nearby Sun Tunnels. Google says there’s a small gas station and grocer in Montello 31 miles / 40 minutes away, but it seems to have limited hours and I wouldn’t rely on it. 95 miles / 100 minutes northeast is the town of Snowville that has a full gas station and convenience store, restrooms, and motels (actually a motel) if you want to stay there for an evening. The opposite direction 85 miles / 90 minutes away is West Wendover / Wendover on the Nevada / Utah border. It has many more options for food, accommodations, and supplies. I’d suggest going there in tandem with Sun Tunnels. We stayed the night there, before heading back to Salt Lake City (a straight shot east 125 miles / 105 minutes away)

Our full route around the Great Salt Lake with three main stops (Spiral Jetty, Sun Tunnels, and the Bonneville Salt Flats)

For detailed directions you could use this website as a printout or refer to the official website. A vehicle with some height / clearance will be helpful for the dirt roads, but nothing is particularly difficult to require AWD. It is free to visit. Standard rules apply; “leave no trace”, do not tamper with the artwork, make fire pits, or trample vegetation.

The Great Basin Desert is one of the four defined deserts in North America (interestingly this one and Mojave and Sonoran are all adjacent to one another, but are considered unique, because of vegetation and weather differences), most of Nevada lies in this desert.

You can (like we did) combine this piece with Spiral Jetty and The Bonneville Salt Flats. There’s basically only two ways to get to Sun Tunnels, one is from the north east (which would be easy to couple with Spiral Jetty; see my previous post on this) and the other is from the southwest (which would be easy to couple with The Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s important, when navigating to the latter, to type in Bonneville Salt Flats International Raceway. Let’s go on a quick detour to this natural gem.

If you just type in Bonneville Salt Flats, it’ll send you to the Salt Flats Rest Area Westbound, and because there are few exits to turnaround at, this is a 30+ minute detour. I know from experience. The Salt Flats Rest Area, was also not that nice. It’s pretty crowded and the area is quite touristed. Lots of instagrammers, tiktokkers, and folks there trying to get the social media video, so it’s hard to enjoy it. And with everyone right there, the salt is pretty beat up, and not as clean and white. We had to walk pretty far out to get to a worthwhile view.

We came from the West (Wendover) and the exit for the Speedway is pretty immediate on I-80, make sure you take it, because the next opportunity to turnaround is quite far. The Bonneville Speedway Road is very straight (and you can really fly down it, I nearly got to 100 mph). At the end you can drive right off the roads and onto the flats themselves, and then you can just drive and drift around. It is otherworldly and freeing. There’s plenty of space, so just meander off and find your own little area. Definitely keep your head on a swivel since people we driving every which direction. Luckily it’s very obvious because everything stands out against the white salt. There are plenty of folks just hanging out and playing with drones and model airplanes, and just chilling.

My friend (the national park ranger) was surprised we were interested in going out there. “It’s a whole lot of nothing. In the middle of nowhere.” And he’s not wrong, it’s incredibly flat, with an unwordly white floor that’s so bright, I highly recommend sunglasses, and a lot of sunblock. The reflection starts burning your retinas after awhile. You need shoes that can get dirty / withstand the elements, or just go sandals like Mattos and just be fully exposed to salt.

There are pockets of rain water still remaining, so you’ll definitely get a tad wet too. But it was totally worth it. We drove pretty fast on the flats, but I never totally trusted it, so we never pushed it like we did on the paved straightaway. Every so often you might hit a little uneven patch, so it didn’t feel worth it to risk it. But spraying water around was fun too, just don’t park in the wet areas or your vehicle might get stuck. It’s sort of like being in a snowy field, except it isn’t cold, visibility isn’t limited, and the ground is hard.

Wet salt corroding the rental car

Afterwards, you will need to wash the car, because you’ll have salt everywhere. The car wash in Salt Lake City was experienced, and had us go through the system twice to get clean enough before we returned the car.

Experience

Alright, back to the main event. We went in September, 2023, as part of our long weekend Utah getaway. For city folk, escaping to the great outdoors is quite enticing. After we had visited Spiral Jetty and the Golden Spike National Historical Park in the morning, we killed the hottest part of the day in Trementon and Snowville. It was about an hour and 45 minute drive to Sun Tunnels from Snowville. Stocked up on candy and caffeinated beverages, we listened to a lot of Sons of the East (great band, good for stomp and holler road trips), and arrived around 5/6 PM with plenty of time for daylight and sunset.

It’s remote and incredible. There are just a handful of shacks out there, not much. No facilities at all, minimal signage. We only saw a couple cars drive by in the distance, but no one else was there on this Saturday afternoon. The Pilot Range Mountains along the border of Nevada and Utah to the West, whereas there’s just empty shrub / desert in the other directions.

There is minimal to no cell service. So download content beforehand (like this guidebook or this review), there are no plaques or reading material. It is noticeably cooler hanging out inside the cylinders to escape the sun, but when the sun starts to set, the temperature drops noticeably. Bring a jacket to stay warm.

These solid 22 ton cylinders are unmovable, and after some exploration, it became clear I had to climb it. We figured there’s no way I could do any damage to it, and the interiors of them clearly had plenty of wear and tear from people… rollerblading? That would be crazy, perhaps just rolling balls in it and scratching it up. Luckily, the constellation holes are decent holds for climbing, albeit a bit high. We were experienced enough to bring drinks and snacks with us. I climbed up with a beer in my pocket, and cracked it open on top and had myself a lovely time.

Being on top also made for some really cool photos messing with the perspective and utilizing the constellation holes.

We spent about 3 hours here, and never saw another person. As the sun set, the more dramatic golden hour light looked great, however it does take awhile for the light to dim enough to allow the stars to shine. So expect to wait another hour at least after sunset to get any good star gazing in. But there definitely are some high quality night photos available.

Don’t mind a couple of Mattos’ feet in the caught in the center of the panorama

Summary

Everyone should go. This was one of my favorites that we have trekked out to. It is a cool experience. Interactive and beautiful. I recognize it’s pretty inconvenient, but if you’re ever in the area, you should go.

Sunset Timelapse

Sources

Official Guide from Dia

Utah Museum of Fine Arts, "Sun Tunnels," Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://umfa.utah.edu/land-art/sun-tunnels.

Holt/Smithson Foundation, "Sun Tunnels," Holt/Smithson Foundation, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/sun-tunnels.

Dia Art Foundation, "Nancy Holt: Sun Tunnels," Dia Art Foundation, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://www.diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/nancy-holt-sun-tunnels.

Utah.com, "Nancy Holt Sun Tunnels," Utah.com, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://www.utah.com/destinations/cities-towns/wendover/things-to-do/nancy-holt-sun-tunnels/.

Atlas Obscura, "Sun Tunnels," Atlas Obscura, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sun-tunnels.

Holt/Smithson Foundation, "Everything and Nothing: Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels, 1973-76," Holt/Smithson Foundation, Accessed April 30th, 2024, https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/everything-and-nothing-nancy-holts-sun-tunnels-1973-76.

Kwan Ng 4/22/24 Kwan Ng 4/22/24

Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970 - Corinne, Utah (September, 2023)

Background

It is what the name suggests. That unlike most jettys that simply go straight into a body of water, this 15 ft. wide jetty eventually curves and coils into a counterclockwise spiral in the Great Salk Lake in Utah. Websites say that it is 1,500 ft. long, but I believe this is the distance from the start and end of the jetty itself, not the distance it actually goes out into the lake. Over three weeks, 6,000 tons of black basalt rocks and earth from the area were used to form it, and it was originally designed to sit just a few inches above the water line, which fluctuated over time.

However, since 2002, Spiral Jetty has been visible as the lake has receded. Read this NYTimes article about the dangers of this fast receding key body of water for Utah. Since 1980 it has shrank by more than two-thirds, and this is heavily due to human causes of diverting water sources that usually replenish it. Now it sits in an entirely dry former area of the lake, it would take a miraculous amount of water for it to return to its original state.

Seemingly everyone calls Spiral Jetty seminal to Land Art. This seems to be due to the fact that it was the largest Land Art piece at the beginning years of the movement. People also like to how it interacts with the lake and how over time that lack of interaction as it has receded has been a statement of its own. Robert Smithson is considered one fo the most influential Land Artists. As a non-art person, I can only regurgitate what I’ve read. I can’t explain it beyond that he made ambitious land art early in the movement.

Travel

You’ll need a car to make it there. It is a 2 hour drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. You’ll drive north on I-15, then heading West around Brigham City on Route 83. When you pass Brigham City / Corinne, there basically is no more food or fuel, so stock up on what you may need there (or before). Follow signs for the Golden Spike National Historic Park. The Golden Spike Visitor Center has clean water and bathrooms for you to use between 9 - 5 daily depending on the season. Also, they ask that you do not clean your salt and dirt laden shoes in the bathrooms, so be respectful.

Continue past the Visitor Center and you can follow signs for Spiral Jetty for another half hour. It’s a beautiful and pretty desolate drive. We didn’t pass a single car enroute. This road varies in quality, but should be doable with any type of vehicle. You eventually arrive to a well demarcated dirt parking area. When we arrived there, there were a few vehicles that had some folks who had camped out overnight there. Seemed cold… and buggy. But they showed us some pictures of the stars, and they looked great.

It’s free to visit. Just the standard rules, don’t leave a trace or ruin it for anyone.

Definitely climb up the hill to the information plaque and beyond to get a better view of the installation. It’s hard to fully appreciate it from the ground.

We also wandered out to the Great Salt Lake, about a half mile beyond Spiral Jetty now. It has a unique shoreline, so it’s certainly worth the walk out there. I even took some wedges of salt, that randomly a friend of mine in New York ate without question.

It’s worth spending time at the Golden Spike National Historical Park. They do reenactments daily during the summer (arrive before 10 AM and they bring out trains), they have the aforementioned water and restrooms available, and they have a gift shop with some Spiral Jetty related paraphenalia. Mattos got a great coffee table book. The rangers were very friendly and all the attendees of the reenactment were adorable elderly train nerds or children. It’s a pleasant atmosphere. Another nearby stop that’s hokey and art related is Marble Park in Tremonton, Utah. A 30 minute drive from the Golden Spike. This small free chaotic park is worth a stroll and another break as you move on with your travels.

Experience

We went in September 2023. Arrived in Salt Lake City late Friday night and rented a car (Nissan Rogue AWD SUV from Alamo). We drove up to Ogden and stayed the night there. Saturday, before dawn we hopped into the car and drove out to Spiral Jetty. Arriving before the sun rose, the drive was beautiful in the half light and the color of the sky was lovely. We were the first to arrive, but there were three vehicles there with people who had stayed overnight in the general area. Mostly to stargaze it seemed.

A True New Yorker

The road from Spiral Jetty

As an art history nerd, Mattos was thrilled to finally be there and see this piece. I found it underwhelming compared to others we had seen. It didn’t help that there was a ridiculous amount of mosquito adjacent bugs flying around. They were everywhere, along the former shore and I must have killed hundreds that just lazily sat on my jeans. Keep your doors and windows closed when you arrive. Otherwise they’ll easily get inside. As you walk out into the former lake, the bugs become significantly less of an issue. So that was a benefit.

It’s probably for the best that you stay on the jetty, as without water, the sandy non-jetty portions wil retain footprints for longer. That higher contrast would be nice, but unfortunately it has already been pretty well trodden. Sunrise was beautiful as it came over the ridge.

We mostly had the place to ourselves as the campers packed up and left. We were surprised, given it was a Saturday, but perhaps we were just there too early. We wandered beyond Spiral Jetty and walked the dried lakebed to the shore. It gives serious “Holes” (Shia LeBeouf film) energy. It had a unique salty foamy edge. Very odd, haunting and beautiful.

The shore is brimmed with this salty foam concotion

My friend John literally ate some of this, like 6 months later

We left by 9 and went to the Golden Spike National Historic Park Visitor Center, just in time to hydrate, shop, and then watch the replica trains come out for the reenactment. It’s fee is $20 a vehicle and certainly worth it, with the convenient timing. It was quite wholesome and enjoyable. There were only a few dozen people there. That gift shop does overcharge for Spiral Jetty content. A postcard for a mediocre image of Spiral Jetty was $4.00 versus a well designed graphic postcard of Golden Spike was 75 cents, but hey, it goes to a good cause.

After both trains come to a standstill, you can go up and take a look at both. Or support Segregation of the East and West like Mattos.

Oddly the blue train had white steam, whereas the red train had black smoke. Not sure why there was a difference, perhaps I should have asked a Park Ranger.

While there is a special railroad tie / sleeper marked with a plaque. There is no actual golden spike here (apparently the real ones were ceremonial and given to rich people), but there is one replica in a case in the gift shop.

We ate brunch at Golden Spike Burgers in Corinne. It was enjoyable, but nothing special. Swung by the aforementioned Marble Park (see two of the pictures below) and went bowling at the Grille Restaurant too (to stay out of the hot sun) before we drove off to our next land art destination (Sun Tunnels). I’m apparently good at bowling in Utah, got my first ever Turkey.

Summary

I wouldn’t recommend it as a must see, but if you’re in the area, it’s worth a gander. It is just remote enough to enjoy the isolation, without having to over plan or over prepare. You should be fine with minimal effort, and it’s cool to walk around and explore the Great Salt Lake and the Golden Spike Park.

You should definitely go if you’re a fan of Land Art. Smithson is apparently an icon, so it’s probably a must.

Additional Information

There are plenty of better pictures than mine. Particularly those using drones or were there when the water levels interacted with the piece. Check out these galleries:

Here’s a good guide and information on Spiral Jetty as well.

Sources

Utah Museum of Fine Arts, "Spiral Jetty," Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Accessed April 20, 2024, https://umfa.utah.edu/spiral-jetty.
Dia Art Foundation, "Robert Smithson: Spiral Jetty," Dia Art Foundation, Accessed April 20, 2024, https://www.diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/robert-smithson-spiral-jetty.
Holt/Smithson Foundation, "Spiral Jetty," Holt/Smithson Foundation, Accessed April 20, 2024, https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/spiral-jetty.
Scott D. Pierce, "Climate change, human use, could mean 'end of the line' for the Great Salt Lake," Deseret News, May 21, 2023, Accessed April 20, 2024, https://www.deseret.com/2023/5/21/23727301/climate-change-great-salt-lake-utah/#:~:text=Records%20show%20the%20lake%20was,seemed%20imminent%20just%20last%20year.

Kwan Ng 4/15/24 Kwan Ng 4/15/24

Richard Serra, East-West/West-East, 2014 – Qatar (December, 2022)

Background

Four giant steel plates over 46 feet tall in a one kilometer line creating an east / west corridor in the Brouq Nature Reserve in Qatar. They are different heights to make up for their different terrain levels so they all top out at the same plane. Each plate weighs around 80 tons each.

Richard Serra was commissioned by Sheikha al-Mayassa al-Thani of Qatar to build it. The Sheikha has spent billions acquiring and building a large and impressive cultural collection of art; as part of Qatar’s broader soft power strategy prestige rivalry with the other gulf nations.

Travel

We rented a car from Hamad Airport (DOH), the main airport in Doha, for the day for about $65. Then drove west along the Dukhan Highway, it is about an hour and a half drive (depending on the offroading conditions once you near the installation). The highway is brand new, with basically zero traffic and is a smooth ride. There’s no real need for an AWD vehicle, but an SUV with some clearance is definitely helpful when you offroad for about 4 - 5 km on a pretty flat dirt / sand worn path. There are no real hours of operations, and it’s free to visit.

Green highlighted area is where the installation sits. Red arrow represents our route, purple arrow is an alternative route

We approached from the west (the red arrow) out of Zekreet. Once you leave the little enclave you are on an obvious dirt road, it’s an easy, albeit dusty drive. If you leave your windows open, you will have a fine layer of sand on everything in the car. We returned through this same path, because it was after dark and I felt more comfortable retracing our path versus taking the purple arrow route on the east side. GPS will not be able to give you a good route offroading, but as long as you keep a pin on the destination, you will be able to follow the worn paths and get to and fro without a problem. There are only a couple of true ditches that could be a problem if you’re not paying attention.

As far as we could tell, there is very little around the area. There are a handful of restaurants in the towns of Dukhan and Bir Zekrit, and a few rather unremarkable beaches on the Broog peninsula (Zekreet). I would suggest bringing food and drinks with you from Doha. We swung by a McDonalds in Dukhan for a quick bite. I kid you not, a man on a scooter drove through a glass door of the building while we were inside waiting for our food. He was alright, but it was very startling.

We returned the car to Doha where I promptly permanently bruised my shin walking into a end table in the airport, then we took a Careem (cheap Uber / Lyft alternative that I do not recommend, use the actual taxi cabs if you can, they’re better, and not much more expensive) to Jiwan at the National Museum of Qatar for dinner. This was one of the better meals we had in the country. It has a beautiful terrace to eat on, the architeture of the building is very cool (designed after a desert rose), and the food was terrific.

The National Museum of Qatar, you eat on a terrace of one of those protruding discs

There is also an hour and a half away, near the northern coast of Qatar, another land art piece in the desert called Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day by Olafur Eliasson. We did not have enough time to make it there (it was the day after the World Cup Final, so we got a late start to the day and Serra’s piece was our priority).

Experience

We visited on December 19th, 2022. The weather was quite nice, sky was clear, a light jacket was useful after the sun set. It’s free to visit, and there is an intermittent guard / ranger who drives through to check on it. They spoke little English, mostly got that we shouldn’t graffiti or deface the art in any way. Basic rules. But they left us alone in the dark. We arrived an hour or two before sunset and stayed for an hour or two past sunset. That golden hour was beautiful, and the offroad return drive in the dark was easy and very low risk.

While we were there for 3 - 4 hours, about five other personal cars arrived and checked it out for a few minutes before leaving. Seemed like an odd length since it takes awhile to get there, but people seemed to be satisfied with just glancing at it. There was a film production of about 25 people filming a promotional ad for Qatar featuring an interpretative modern dancer. You can see them in the background of this timelapse we took.

We enjoyed watching their featured dancer, move along the ridge and their silhouette across the waning desert sun.

Dancer on the ridge of the southern plateau

We (and other visitors) ruined a few of their shots as you can drive wherever you want out in the middle of the desert. You can drive straight up to the plates, but there is an unmarked area just south of the southern plateau that is vaguely a park lot. This keeps your vehicle out of sight, and everyone can enjoy the view without cars interfering.

The green are the four plates; the blue circle just to the south is the unofficial suggested parking area

The installation fits in a valley between two plateaus, you can pretty easily climb up on either, and from above you get a nice vantage point of the structures. Definitely go at sunset. You arrive safely in broad daylight, and you slowly experience the changing light, and then you get to have some star gazing before heading back to the city.

Summary

This was (outside the World Cup matches, shoutout to Argentina v. Netherlands, France v. Argentina, and Japan v. Germany) without a doubt the coolest part of our trip to Qatar. There’s not a lot to do in the country, so if you have the time, go for it. It’s a powerful piece of land art, playing with the landscape with larger than life materials. A strong recommendation to make it a point to go see this spectacular installation.

Sources

No Author, "Richard Serra: East-West/West-East," Qatar Museums, Accessed April 15th, 2023, https://qm.org.qa/en/visit/public-art/richard-serra-east-west-west-east/.

No Author, "Serra in the Desert," Artforum, Accessed April 15th, 2023, https://www.artforum.com/features/serra-in-the-desert-221158/.

No Author, "Richard Serra in the Qatari Desert," Numéro Magazine, Accessed April 15th, 2023, https://www.numero.com/en/art/richard-serra-qatar-deserts-east-west-monument-steel-sculpture-aitor-ortiz-abstract-art-sculpture.

Nicolas Niarchos, "Richard Serra in the Qatari Desert," The New Yorker, Accessed April 15th, 2023, April 16th, 2014https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/richard-serra-in-the-qatari-desert.

No Author, "East-West/West-East," Atlas Obscura, Accessed April 15th, 2023, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/east-west-west-east.

No Author, "Richard Serra, Sculptor of Monumental Steel Works, Dies at 84," The New York Times, March 26, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/arts/richard-serra-dead.html.

Kwan Ng 1/16/24 Kwan Ng 1/16/24

Maya Lin, Wavefield, 2009 - New Windsor, New York (June, 2022)

Background

Wavefield occupies an 11-acre site with the artwork itself spanning four acres. It is an Earthwork of seven rows of rolling waves made of earth and grass ranging in heights between 10 - 15 feet tall.

The artist, Maya Lin, came to prominence in 1981 when, as a 21 year old student with no professional experience, she won a blind competition to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. She competed against more than 1,400 other entries. Submitted as an assignment for a college class, she triumphed over her professor’s submission, who also only gave her a B on the assignment. A deeply political and controversial development process had some loud detractors, but $8.4 million of private funding was raised to complete the project.

“My affinity has always been toward sculpting the earth.” - Maya Lin

The Vietnam Memorial is testament to this, two angular walls sharply cutting into the hill as they meet.

Wavefield is Maya Lin’s largest and final of a three part series of wave fields; The Wave Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan which is replicating a Stokes Wave pattern and Flutter in Miami, Florida which resembles gentle waves rolling across sand. Both of which are in more urban settings within plazas between buildings, while the space in Wavefield doesn’t have a building in site. Michigan’s small site and medium sized waves almost act as individualized comfy recliner seats for students and faculty, while Florida’s slightly larger site and small waves are simply traversed in unique ways by passersby as they move through it.

Wavefield is the largest, widest, and tallest. You can easily lose visual contact with the adjacent waves as you walk through them, replicating the feeling of being at sea. A much different experience than the original two. It sits in a valley of hills as well, somehow making the unnatural earthen waves feel very natural and fitting in the broader landscape.

Built on a former gravel pit, it is a reclamation project, that required collaboration with the EPA. Native grasses were planted to prevent eroison and soil compactions, while requiring minimal watering. Even the carbon footprint of the entire construction was calculated and offset by planting 260 trees. A 2 year process, from commissioning to opening the piece, was complicated by vegetation, drainage, and some woodchucks that decided the waves would make lovely homes.

Lin spoke of her fascination with transmutability, the quality of being changeable over time. The opposite of static. Definitely take a look at it in the winter. And how do you actually maintain it? From mowing to managing foot traffic, and recommending how visitors should interact with the waves. She also mentioned how she was influenced by Japanese aesthetics, how the architecture forms the frame in which you view the land.

Travel

Wavefield is located at the Storm King Art Center, one of the country’s premier outdoor sculpture parks, set on 500 acres of wide-open meadow and woodland in Mountainville, N.Y., about an hour’s drive north of Manhattan. It’s easiest to drive there, but you can also take Metro North from Grand Central to Beacon ($17.75 off peak one way) and then take a taxi to the park (~$30).

Tickets for Storm King cost are based on the number of people per car. For four people it would be $100. My brother is in the military, so we got a discount. Bike rentals are $30 a person. Bring your own food and drinks, don’t forget a picnic blanket and sun block.

It’s also not too far from Beacon, NY, which is across the Hudson river. This is a great town, with plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops, and is the home of DIA Beacon, which I’m told is a cool art museum (I’ve been meaning to go).

Experience

We visited on a Saturday at the end of June, 2022. We arrived mid morning (10 am) and left mid afternoon (3 pm). We swung by a Wegmans in Westchester county to pick up a picnic lunch, which we ate on one of the lawns underneath a shady tree. We liked the broad open space to look out upon while we lazed. It was not crowded, possibly due to the stifling heat, it peaked at almost 90 degrees that day. Wasn’t bad in the shade, and it was quite nice and breezy riding through the park as a bike gang. There are bathrooms and a gift shop available in the main building at the center of the park.

Mirror Fence is a fun interactive piece, that’s very good for creative social media posts. However, if you do care about the quality of photos, you should wipe and clean the key pickets you’ll use. I noticed that in my photos, and wish I had paid attention to that detail. There was also a surprise Richard Serra in the fields, and an odd three legged Buddha. There are plenty of sculptures small and large all over the property to imitate, interact with, or just admire. The grounds are generally all very well maintained and balanced. At the end of the day, it’s just a beautiful landscaped park to explore with friends and family.

Stay on the main paved roads, the rental bikes aren’t particularly great on the gravel or hiking trails. Elizabeth nearly took a spill braking going downhill on one of them.

Richard Serra, Schunnemunk Fork, 1990–91

Zhang Huan, Three Legged Buddha, 2007

Alyson Shotz, Mirror Fence, 2003 (refabricated 2014)

Menashe Kadishman, Suspended, 1977

Rashid Johnson, Stacked Heads, 2020

Mark di Suvero, Pyramidian, 1987/1998

Josef Pillhofer, Reclining Man (Liegender Mann), 1964

Summary

If you’re in upstate New York, this is a must see on a good weather day. And it certainly could be combined with other attractions in the region for any folks living in New York City to make a weekend out of it. While it’s a doable day trip, it would be quite exhausting via public transit, and I would recommend staying in the area.

Do not expect to be able to walk through the Wavefield installation before June. While it is frozen or rainy it is essential to minimize foot traffic to allow the grass to improve its resiliency for the remainder of the year. Even then, they will close off entry for the first two weeks of every month to maintain the site’s health.

Additional Information

Enjoy this excellent slideshow by Librado Romero.

Notes from Maya Lin about how to experience Wavefield

About walking across the ridges:

“Everybody likes to walk just along the ridge. And as long as they walk transverse to the waves, it’s fine. But, of course, that requires a little bit of extra effort on your part to go up and down, so everyone just cheats and says, ‘I’m going to climb to the ridge,’ and that kills the ridge. It just—it cannot take that kind of cowpath going along.”

About immersing yourself in the valleys:

“What if I could pull these waves up over your head so that you’re actually lost within a wave flow? To me, these works, and maybe all my works, tend to try to dialogue with you on a very empathetic, physical, physiological level so that it’s literally ‘forget about anything you might know or want to connect to and just be within it and kind of connect one-on-one to the piece.’”

Sources

Cotter, Holland, "Behind a Sculpture, an Artist’s Touch," The New York Times, May 7, 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/arts/design/08lin.html

Maya Lin Studio, "Storm King Wavefield," Maya Lin Studio, Accessed November 28, 2023, https://www.mayalinstudio.com/art/storm-king-wavefield.

"Maya Lin creates 'Storm King Wavefield' at storm king art center," designboom, Accessed November 28, 2023, https://www.designboom.com/art/maya-lin-storm-king-wavefield/.

Maya Lin, Interviewed by Sarah Dziedzic, "Oral History Interview about Wavefield," Storm King Art Center Collections, June 22, 2018. Accessed November 28, 2023, https://collections.stormking.org/Detail/oralhistory/5724.

"Wavefield," Storm King Art Center, Accessed November 28, 2023, https://stormking.org/wavefield/.

History.com Editors, "The 21-Year-Old College Student Who Designed the Vietnam Memorial," HISTORY, November 14, 2018, https://www.history.com/news/the-21-year-old-college-student-who-designed-the-vietnam-memorial.

"Maya Lin - Wave Field," Public Delivery, July 8, 2022, Accessed November 28, 2023, https://publicdelivery.org/maya-lin-wave-field/.

"Maya Lin’s ‘Wave Field’," The New York Times, Published on April 29, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/design/1194832296918/maya-lin-s-wave-field.html."A Unique New

Map for Storm King Art Center," CG Partners LLC Fresh, Accessed January 1, 2024, https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/fresh/post/a-unique-new-map-for-storm-king-art-center/.

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Wet salt corroding the rental car

Afterwards, you will need to wash the car, because you’ll have salt everywhere. The car wash in Salt Lake City was experienced, and had us go through the system twice to get clean enough before we returned the car.

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