The Hinterland projects are a series of site specific projects along the River Trent in Nottingham. Working with many different artists, curator Jennie Syson led the project since 2006.
I'm really interested in Site Specific work and am fascinated by temporary art pieces, the idea that a piece could only be viewed for that exact amount of time then all that's left is documentation and the memory that it happened. This is shown in one of my favourite pieces from the Hinterland projects, Jonathan Willett who created a project called Freeze In September 2006, Willett produced an ice sculpture in the form of an arrow from one of the diagrams, as the basis for navigating connections between movement and experience.
The ice sculpture was floated into the river near Trent Bridge and eventually melted away into the current, a reminder that the modern, frenetic way of life is sustained by the cyclical time of nature. This work was a pointer to a possible place in the future, where there may be little option but to slow down a little, in order to overcome the environmental problems which are caused, the artist believes, by an excess of activity. Freeze was intended to remind the audience that the idea of doing less is not only a possibility but perhaps a necessity if we are to create a sustainable way of life.
The ice sculpture was floated into the river near Trent Bridge and eventually melted away into the current, a reminder that the modern, frenetic way of life is sustained by the cyclical time of nature. This work was a pointer to a possible place in the future, where there may be little option but to slow down a little, in order to overcome the environmental problems which are caused, the artist believes, by an excess of activity. Freeze was intended to remind the audience that the idea of doing less is not only a possibility but perhaps a necessity if we are to create a sustainable way of life.
Hinterland between 2006-9 comprised artist’s talks, presentations and seminars; a series of 3 bespoke publications documenting past and present projects including commissioned texts on the arts and ecology, site-specific art works and the local history of the Hinterland site.
http://www.hinterlandprojects.com/
