Michal Czinege: Garden of Death
Installation that combines large paintings with changing light.
Garden of Death is a site-specific installation: it is made to be partly variable in size and shape according to the exhibition space. The visual elements have their origin in herbaria of extinct plants of the North Karelia area.
The artist draws attention to how the spiralling surge of mass extinction is not only a phenomenon on a universal scale, but the loss of each specie always has local significance. The workings of the installation are based on interaction of light and physical colour. The installation’s name refers partly to Hugo Simberg’s painting “Garden of Death”. Czineger thinks about his installation as a place of strangeness, where “something of the plants’ essence is kept flickering and oscillating as memories until it is no more and disappears completely.”
The material choices for the installation are part of his research as an artist into biodegradable, non-toxic materials that burden the environment as little as possible. Paint for the installation is made using ash from burnt firewood as pigment.
Doctor of Arts, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovakia, b. 1980, lives in Nurmes, Finland.
Information
Artwork finished in:
2023
Light sources, materials, and equipment: 8-11 Programmed LED light (Wild Wash), Separate DMX controller, 10 paintings on wooden stretchers (frames).
Dimensions of the work, approximately (width-height-depth): Divided to two parcels: 1.parcel: wooden box 90x62x101 cm plus I made custom wooden pallet with high 12cm. Weight of the box and pallet together is approximately 80kg 2.parcel:(two combine pieces by stripes on pallet) 3m pipe (diameter 20cm) weight is 30kg cardboard box 247x36x42 cm and weight is 103kg approximately + wooden pallet.
Electricity consumption: Standard mains current (10A/16A).
Does the artwork use sound? No sound.
Support and other structures: The work needs support structures, hanging points, or similar.
Structures, hardware, or other equipment needed from the client: Hanging points from ceiling for lights, simple anchoring structure for frames to walls. Otherwise work includes all the necessary structures.
Minimum height of the space: 280 cm
Minimum square meters of the space: 25 m (5 x 5 m)
Requirements for the space: darkness, temperature, colouring (light / dark / specific colour / other) etc.: Dark space.
Building time and people required (estimate): Minimum 5 days and in some points of installation two assistants.
Artist's presence: Artist or their representative must be present during building.
Seen before at: Forest Line, Nitra, Slovakia 2023\24. In summer 2024 will be part of XXVIII Mäntän kuvataideviikot.
