Project Dried Oasis made on Cap Verde 2015

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Desert travel


50 km from Tolar Grande
Travel 2007, ATACAMA DESERT
With 4000 m over sea level, this is the highest desert in the world. Most parts of the desert you will find in Chile, but the desert continues to stretch over the border in to Argentina as well. According to NASA, this desert is the driest one in the world, mostly covered with salt lakes, lava and sand. What make this desert so special is the altitude and the sort of narrowness to the sky. Another thing that I found striking with this desert was the rich variation of soil and minerals, changing from one desert valley to another. In the Argentinean Atacama areas where I travelled, the landscapes were often shifting dramatically in colores
To travel from on valley to another, one in red, than sepia, to green, next in blue, purple, yellow -even white, was an extraordinary experience and nothing that could be compared with any other experiences I have had before.

5 200 m over sealevel
If you like to visit deserted mines, I guess this must be an ideal place for this kind of adventures!

Salar de Pocitos
Roads are extremely bad and you cannot travel in these areas without a 4 wheel jeep. Even thought you do not meet a lot of cars on these roads, you have to watch out for trucks, transporting minerals on these small dirt roads, this vehicle act as they are the “king of the roads”, and you are the one, expected to step aside. Petrol stations are not to be found in very long stretches and the altitude force you to be careful even with smallest motions in the beginning. You also have to plane where to sleep, there are very few villages, but in some of them you might find simple loggings or a guesthouse. No one speaks English, so
Spanish is almost a must. Prepare yourself with food supply in the car, you might not find a restaurant for a couple of days! It is cold in the night, sleeping in the car might get far too cold. Be aware of the sun, at this altitude the sun is extremely dangerous and you never see anyone without a hat or textile covering their heads and faces at this heights.

Landmark 20 west from Chauchari
To reach Atacama Desert from Argentina, easiest way to go there is to fly to Salta or Tucuman. Flights from Buenos Aires are not too expensive. In Salta you can rent a 4 wheel drive, but book ahead on internet, (they do not have that many). If you want to continue in to Chile and San Pedro de Atacama, the vehicle needs a special registration, to cross the Chilean border. You can also choose to take a bus from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama. There is only one option, starting 7 in the morning, arriving in San Pedro de Atacama in the middle of the night, so you have to book a place to sleep there on beforehand. Busses are not comfortable at all, and the journey takes more than 16 hours and just with a few stops on the way. On the stretch from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama you will travel from an altitude on 1 700 m and pass the highest plateau on 5 200 m, and then move along on the desert plains, at least 6 more hours before you reach the desert city San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. However this might be an alternative to see the Atacama Desert (from a vehicle) since the 4 wheel drive alternative is quite expensive.

Alpaca
If you are lucky, you might see wild Alpacas, and in some of the many salt lakes, you may find a lot of flamingos. Alpacas is one of the few "larger" animals that can live at this altitude.

My personal reason for this desert journey, was to experience a desert on such high altitude and to complete a land art project during. I was also interested to experience high mountains related to a desert.


Sunday, August 30, 2009

Pictures of Holiness

Artproject 2009
During a course in Art theory in Spain, Andalusia this summer (2009), I took the opportunity, experimenting with an idea based on my latest and upcoming project. This project is about identity, modern lifestyles and nature. This project examines human beings as “fragile creatures”, in her attempts to relate to "untamed forces" in nature and to her contemporary civilization. The project works with visual symbols like the mask and/or site-specific arrangements.
This three performed photos were inspired by some of the lectures being given at "Pictures of Holiness -Islamic, Christian and Jewish religion, visualized in contemporary art" (held by Tom Sandquist, Helen and Rudy Vegil).

First pictures was inspired from a lecture about Icons and following two inspired by a lecture about Rudolf Otto and "mysterium tremendum".

Title: Icon giving birth



Title: Challenge



Title: Challenging fear


As a performing model, I had the opportunity to work with the Swedish artist Paula von Seth.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Almost like a garden


Summer 2009
I have a small house some 100 km south of Gothenburg in Sweden were I live. I sometimes go to this small house, doing nothing - to clear the mind. Outside the house, there is a garden, but -it is not realy a garden! I never payed the space around my house that kind of attention and dedication that a gardener does and a garden requiers.

Medusa behind a tree - angelface in the rosegarden


vase on a woodefloor

Glas between trees, flowerpots and waterfall
Jet, I like the space around the house and I think of it as a garden in some sence, but with the habit of working with Landart, I kind of treat it in a simular way, - I guess...what I try to create is a space, alomost like a garden, almost like wilderness and almost like a playground for creativety...