el jardin de los prematuros

PREMATURE'S GARDEN

PREMATURE'S GARDEN Montevideo Biennial Collateral Event Carrasco Airport - 2013 This work, that consist on knitting the Green Flag, or Ecology Flag, began in 2004 during a cleansing campaign at the Nature Reserve in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentine, that was supported by the Australian Embassy. Later, sometime ago now, I was invited to participate, along with other artists, in the Cultural Space "Zona Imaginaria" (Imaginary Zone) in San Fernando, Buenos Aires. The propose was "Who Can Live in This House?", and there I made an open workshop for the neighbours community. Among them I found many children, very eager to work and participate. Then when I presented my artistic work, and myself, they were immediately willing to start working. While we joined the cloths, we talked and debated about the green and ecology. After the act was finished, we went through the neighbour, they showed me their places, their gardens and I invited them to "embrace" all that, to cover up our trees, the same plants that protect us with their shadow and that renew the oxygen that we breathe everyday. We accomplished the task, and returned to the Cultural Space to join more of those same cloths, but this time giving form to green blankets to cover the beds of the resident’s artist. The work had connected. More than a year ago I continued that act and invited the students group of NHS to join us. This was the Honour Squad of the International Uruguayan American School, where students prepare to assist at the most prestigious universities of the world. Once the project was explained and the actions needed were made, the objective was to express and exhibit the green symbol in the Thanksgiving preparation date, the most sacred and cultural tradition for North-American people. Lately, in that college, I created a workshop called "Club Tejiendo por la Paz" (Knitting for Peace Club), expanding the participation to all families and to the community of that institution. The work, the great path with all the green shades, was merging with other countries cloths creating "El Manto de Intenciones" (The Intentions Cloak), that was placed at the stonemason of the airport. The maquette represents a tender part of our beloved land. Our planet it is getting more and more connected and this artwork is like a map of desires, and living consciousness.

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- Alejandra Mettler -