Title: The path of the caterpillar
Description: Patterns and structures are everywhere. Under your shoe, in the sky, all over the world. You just have to pay attention. In spring 2017 I made a road trip across Canada from Lethbridge (Alberta) via Drumheller to Toronto with my friends Ed Pien and Johannes Zits. We drove past seemingly utopian landscapes, entered into abandoned coal mines in the crowsnest pass and crossed endless fields of grain. We floated on a salt water lake and danced on a century old springy floor cushioned by horsehair. Lake Superior was colored pink as we passed by it at sunset. We even witnessed a plague of caterpillars congregating in front of a motel where we stayed overnight. During one of our stops on this journey we participate in a residency in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The residency is called In the Hole Residency organized by artist, Linda Duvall. The residency site was a big 'space' carved out of the ground. In it, there were all different layers of sand; countless insects were busy building strange constructions that included small nests formed from a variety of materials; and roots grew in endless configurations. This open pit was like a microscopic city where stones seemed to come to life and veins of leaves unfolded a new kind of universe. Giving full attention to this environment took great effort but in exchange, it offered unbelievable and unexpected moments for me to observe amazing building patterns and structures. This book is a diary of this journey that includes sketches of observations and ideas for new installations such as 'To dwell in pitch black pearls' and 'pit'.
People: Karin van Dam (1959-)