Fitzgerald Park
Exploration of safety with and among trees.
The Installation MAP for Safety.Sanctaury.Set of Web.
3 different zones spread around, displaying the answers to safety questions and giving people a chance to interact with them.
I spent 9 days in the park where I was present from 8am-7pm for 8 days. I displayed 8 previously collected answers to one of the questions from the safety questionnaire in a space where there were many trees next to each other, sort of forming an island, where it was also close to a pond and river (on the map marked as space number 2: In Trees Questions). The question is ‘What question would you like to ask others about safety?’ Each question was displayed on a different tree to also give people a feeling that trees were interested in knowing answers to these questions. People were given materials to write answers to these questions and display on each particular tree while spending time under the tree, exchanging the space, breaths with these trees, uniting, slowing down and being here, now. It served as part of a larger ritual. There were two more spots I used for displaying more of the collected answers to 2 other questions. I made a map for people to give a sense of journey.
Elements wrapped around the trees and pieces of wood for people to write answers on were kindly given by Jan Koerner. Thank you!
Zone 3: Shaky Bridge displaying answers to the question 4 from the questionnaire:
What feelings come to your mind when you think about safety.
My only, yet, beautiful helper, Marieke from Heartfelt Connections assisting me in putting the installation on the Shaky Bridge. I am very grateful for this as there was a lot to put up throughout the park. Some people stopped and chatted to us but one conversation in particular was rather interesting. Some girls, as they were walking away from the bridge, casually told me ‘This will be destroyed very soon’. I tried to stop them to ask why. They shrugged their shoulders and said that ‘guys who are jumping from this bridge will not allow for this to stay’. My eyes sparkled to their surprise and I said ‘Wow. I was thinking about this because I know they have been using this spot so I am putting it up in such a way so that it is not in their way. Hopefully this will work’. This shocked them even more for some reason. They smiled pleasantly and continued their walk. I admit, I had a suspicion of high possibility of some form of destruction in mind from the very first moment when I considered the bridge. However, I decided to risk it. I thought this will be a journey of its own, especially that it involved feelings and a shaky bridge. I need to open up to all that could happen. ‘Let go’, the trees were whispering to my ear.
There was one day when I decided to leave the park earlier than usual. I was struggling with making that decision since I was so committed but I figured I have been there 11 hours each day and I was really pulled towards the event devoted to casting the River Lee happening in the National Sculpture Factory. Prior to leaving the park I went to the Shaky Bridge to take a few photographs and check if the installation was still there. As I was approaching I saw a family entering the bridge and looking at the answers. They were really moved and I heard them laughing and then they all hugged each other together surrounded with the sound of the bells attached to the installation dancing in the wind. I was so immersed with them in this magical moment that I noticed tears in my eyes. I was so deeply touched. I was conflicted as to whether I should take a photo but took a quick snap and I am glad I could do it while being so enchanted with the moment. This was such an exceptional time in space for me to encounter. It happened because I did follow the inner voice. Throughout each day I was located in the zone 1: Hut Centre, which was about 400-600 meters away from the bridge. I could not see the bridge during my hours in the park, only at the beginning of the day and when I was finishing. Everyday I was checking if the installation was still there.
People were given pieces of material with bells to attach to the answer which resonated with them most. Indeed, it was rather exquisite when the wind was blowing and the bells were ringing as you walked along the shaking bridge looking at different feelings.
I took this photograph one day before I was due to finish. On that day, 3 answers, which were displayed, were missing. I still felt content. I did a small detective work and it looked like somebody cut out these pieces from the rest. It did make me wonder what was the purpose and whether the missing answers were chosen deliberately or was it random. I am left only with questions. It is quite nice to not make any assumptions but to have this space open to imagination. I would love to hear from you and where your mind takes you.
Zone 1: displaying answers to the first question from the questionnaire:
What is your definition of the word safety?
The Silent Conversation Installation
I continue solo and without any funding. It is very challenging but I keep going, keep trying and using whatever resource I can in whatever way I can. This time I was additionally challenged with the conditions of the outdoors. And I put it all on myself! I have quite many unused CDs and so does my friend Helena Palmer who came up with an idea to spray the backs of the CDs. We set out on a mission one afternoon in my little back garden and went wild, wild, so wild. The colours were splashing, the experiment was unfolding in a myriad of ways. It was my first time with a can of spray paint in my hand.
One to one spoken word performance
I kept performing one to one spoken word Safety.Sanctuary.Set of Web. I felt more exposed in this space. I was also quite confined to it for I was alone and could not leave some of the items without supervision (like the gong Maria Minguella lent me- as then some try to bang it rather than play it). Yet, I was among the trees and I forgot about eating and any other human needs. I did not know at the time, really, but I was fasting and cleansing my self. That was a message from the trees to me in relation to safety.
Water Glossary by Carol Anne Connolly
photo from her web (check out the link below)
Water
It is another story how I met Carol Anne Connolly but what maters is that upon our The Hidden Life of Trees encounter it turned out we are both occupied with language and nature, landscape. I explore interrelation via values. She did it in a literal way via presenting Irish words related to water in her book Water Glossary. It is a stunning and incredibly important book. I was spellbound and only regretted that no recording of these words was available (hopefully one day it will change). It could not have been more perfect to include the words from this tremendous book at the back of the CDs I provided as an element for people to attach to the installation.
This truly was a prime synchronicity and synergy. The power flowing from this mergence was immense, especially in the context of s a f e t y.
Additionally, the CDs were moving with the wind, glittering in the sun giving the sensation of flow.