Nature as an art gallery: Ars Natura.

“Welcome to the Nature Gallery” . 
This is the title that pops up on the Ars Natura website, inviting people to hike through nature, which provides the setting and plays the lead role in Land Art works in Northern Hesse, Germany.



Land Art in a German region that is rather knowledgeable when it comes to art. The two European hiking trails of X8 and X3 are located not far from Kassel, city of documenta, whose 13th edition has closed these days. Ars Natura decided to use these hiking trails to create “art paths”, with the idea of installing a work of art every kilometre.





The goal is set up an interaction between recreational hiking through nature and appreciating the experience of art with works mainly produced using organic materials, closely related to the local nature.
The idea of this project is to create a special connection between culture and nature, turning the natural landscape into an outdoor museum.





Last – but certainly not least – this initiative aims at making these hiking trails more interesting and at focusing on the natural landscape as a tourist attraction, specifically aspiring to protect it, make it useable and give visitors an active, enjoyable experience. The initiative is funded by the EU (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) and is co-funded by the Hesse Ministry of Economics, Transport and Regional Development.





So, if you decide to take a trip to Kassel, don’t forget your hiking boots or hop on a bike and give yourselves a unique, truly eco-friendly experience with art.

Design: Ars-natura-Stiftung, http://www.ars-natura-stiftung.de/
Location: Fernwanderweg X8 and X3, Hesse, Germany
Photographs: Courtesy of Marco Arend, http://www.arend-hartmann.com

Captions:

Bildschirm (Screen)
Roots
Mikrokosmos (Microcosmos)
Cinema Natura
Die Gedanken sind frei (Thought is free, a folksong dating back to the 19th century independence movement)
Serielle Schnittstelle (Serial Port)