A stunning new work of land art will be unveiled this summer in Dumfries & Galloway, created by world-renowned landscape artist Charles Jencks.
The Crawick Multiverse – a £1million project funded by the Duke of Buccleuch – sits on the site of a former open cast coal mine which is being transformed into a spectacular 55-acre artland, visitor attraction and public amenity.
Materials found on the expansive site, from tonnes of earth to some 2,000 large boulders, were used to create the work of art in Upper Nithsdale in the heart of Dumfries and Galloway, which is expected to provide an economic boost to local communities as well as attracting international visitors.
This inspiring new landmark links the themes of space, astronomy and cosmology, with a network of paths navigating features and landforms which represent the Sun, universes, galaxies, comets, black holes and more.
Work on the Crawick Multiverse is nearing completion, with a public launch event scheduled for the summer solstice on June 21.
It is the latest in an impressive portfolio from Charles Jencks, a leading figure in landscape architecture who has created works across the globe, from the UK’s ‘Northumberlandia’ and ‘Garden of Cosmic Speculation’ to Beijing Olympic Park’s ‘Black Hole Terrace’, to name just a few.
Charles Jencks said: “This former open cast coal site, nestled in a bowl of large rolling hills, never did produce enough black gold to keep digging. But it did, accidentally, create the bones of a marvellous ecology.
“The landscape had to be healed, it had to welcome the nearby communities of Sanquhar, Kelloholm and Kirkconnel, and help restore the locality both economically and ecologically – and so the Crawick Multiverse, a new version of an old scientific idea, was born.
“This work of land art, created primarily from earth and boulders on the site, celebrates the surrounding Scottish countryside and its landmarks, looking outwards and back in time.”
The site is managed by the Crawick Artland Trust which includes trustees from the local communities surrounding the site.
Duncan Mackison, Director of Crawick Artland Trust, said: “We are very excited to see this ambitious, large scale project nearing completion and are confident it will prove to be a huge draw for visitors from both home and abroad.
“This fantastic artland will appeal to a diverse range of visitors, including art and design enthusiasts, families looking for a day out with a difference, schools who want an ‘outdoor classroom’ and local groups and organisations.”
To find out more, visit the Crawick Multiverse Facebook page which will be updated with news and information ahead of the exciting June launch. More details are also available at www.crawickmultiverse.co.uk
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Issued on behalf of Crawick Artland Trust by Beattie Communications. For further information please contact:
Lesley McIvor 01324 602552 / 07740 492 333 lesley.mcivor@onlybeattie.com
Nicolle Laurie 01324 602 564 nicolle.laurie@onlybeattie.com
Julie Yeudall 01698 787845 / 07730 415 019 julie.yeudall@onlybeattie.com
