“High in the Lowther Hills, dark clouds gather and rain falls. Droplets coalesce and travel, forming small burns that flow deep within the rich, boggy ground at Tweed’s Well. Here the River Tweed rises to start its 97 mile meandering journey downwards through valleys, forests and farms. Onwards through villages and towns, flowing finally to the sea. 

As it travels, the growing river collects and holds captive, minute fragments of place. Minerals, pollen, spores, micro-organisms and shreds of human stories; tiny particles of the dreams and imaginings, the failures and triumphs of the lives that it passes through. 

Laden with materials and trace elements, the river finally joins the sea leaving its load to settle, forming an ever-changing library of the river’s life stored in the rich mud of the estuary. We invite you to delve into the story of the river’s journey and help in the creation of this evolving exhibition.”

A participatory exhibition as part of Robbie and Jo’s (un)trodden paths residency in the middle Tweed for Connecting Threads.

Visitors were asked to combine water from the source of the Tweed with sediment from the estuary at Berwick. They made a circular mark with the resulting pigment and were then invited to contribute a line for the evolving wall poem. Each line was constructed using the same elements: A fragment or particle that had found its way into the river followed by its (poetic) context. When read one after the other around the room, they formed a meditation on the many journeys held by the river.

Above: examples of contributions from artists and public

For other work on the (un)trodden paths residency see:
Pollinator Pathways
Micro-Utopias
Babe
Glimpses of Utopia

Paths Research Documentation: https://colemanhodges.com/trodden-paths/

Categories: 2024, Environmental, Exhibition, Interactive, Participatory, Process, Research, Strategy