Gates
Land art installation in Oslavia, Italy
size: H: 7 m, L: 18 m, W: 13 m
materials: wood, charcoal, chalk

Technical cooperation / Dejan Klanjscek

Installation created during artistic residency B#Side War Festival vol. 6 / september 2020 / organized by IoDeposito NGO/Italy

Special thanks to Elena Zanon, Dejan Klanjscek, Klanjscek Family, Fabio Caudek, Matej Ferfoglia and Chiara Isadora Artico, Magdalena Dokowska, IoDeposito NGO/Italy


Barbara Mydlak's artist residency at the former Iron Curtain border between Italy and Slovenia provided her with a opportunity to conduct an "artist ethnography" of the region's history and memory of war and separation. Through interviews with a diverse range of citizens, including local historians, cultural activists, teachers, young and elderly individuals, Mydlak gained insight into the various ways in which the border's history continues to impact the local communities.

Drawing on these findings, Mydlak created a land art installation that serves as a symbol of the transitory passage that has characterized the regional territory for millennia.
The installation takes the form of a symbolic gate inspired by the shape of the mountain ranges on the border and the construction of wooden temporary bridges built during the First World War in the region.
The land art installation is built from old piles from the vineyard and dead trees from the border forest.
By using natural materials that reflect the history of the region, Mydlak highlights the connection between nature and culture and invites visitors to engage with the installation and reflect on the complexities of the border's history and its continuing influence on local societies.



More information:
B#Side War Festival
The limes and the invasion. In Trieste an exhibition dedicated to borderlands and cultural mixes
Limes and invasions
IL LIMES E L'INVASIONE
Le culture dell'est e dell'ovest si incrociano a Trieste
B#Side War - il Limes e l'Invasione
Gates, inauguration