ART OF THE UNUSUAL
Pop-up land art in the Lakes, political Pac-Man in the Czech Republic and a Loch Ness Monster down under
BORROWDALE BANKSY
In a very British response to the international mystery monolith phenomenon that began with the discovery of a steel monolith in the Utah desert last November ( FT401:4; 402:24, 406:26) a mystery sculptor has been erecting pieces of land art in secluded locations in Borrowdale in the English Lake District. Dubbed “Borrowdale Banksy” by locals on account of their anonymity, the mysterious artist has created works reminiscent of the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy out of local slate in Dalehead, Raven Crag and Castle Crag. The Borrowdale Institute, the local village hall, described the artist as a “very talented [and] patient individual”. Local photographer and mountaineer Carl Halliday, 50, said of the circular structure he had seen that he was impressed with the way it blended with its surroundings “despite being a new and manmade piece of art” and that it seemed sensitive to the existing environment and complemented the already stunning views. The actual locations of the structures are being kept vague by locals as all of them are in places that are only accessible to experienced climbers, and they do not want to encourage casual sightseers to try and reach them; however, a spokesman for the Borrowdale Institute said, “Whoever you/they are, please carry on, we want more.” BBC News, 19 May; Guardian, 20 May; news.sky.com, 20 May 2021.
CZECH CROP CIRCLE
On 22 May a giant crop circle in the shape of Pac-Man appeared near the town of Roudnice nad Labe in the Czech Republic on the 41st anniversary of the video game’s launch. Taking up most of an 18-hectare (44.5 acre) oilseed rape field, where it was created by cutting the crop rather than by the more traditional method of flattening it in situ, it was one of the largest crop formations ever made. The glyph carried a further meaning: 22 May is also World Biodiversity Day, and the field belongs to the Agrofert Group, a corporation with close links to the Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš. Czech guerrilla art group Ztohoven issued a statement claiming responsibility for the circle (see www.ztohoven.cz/exit-the-game/index.html) saying it was a protest against both the prime minister and monolithic agribusines
corporations. It states: “Pac-Man destroys our natural ecosystem and leaves monocultural toxic waste behind. Pac-Man ruins culture, individual freedoms and entrepreneurial diversity. Pac-Man hacks democracy and keeps abusing it. Pac-Man destroys competition by unfair taxation. Pac-Man reintroduces and fuels corruption. Pac-Man denies critical thinking and science. Pac-Man cannot control individuals who refuse to enter the enclosed game field.” The statement ends with the words “Exit the game”.
Ztohoven are well known in the Czech Republic for actions that blend art and politics. Their highest-profile intervention was flying oversize red underwear in place of the presidential flag at Prague Castle in 2015. Members all use pseudonyms, often ones that work as puns in both Czech and English, including “Roman Tyc” and “Dan Gerous”. “Ztohoven” itself is a Czech-language pun and can be read either as Z toho ven (“The way out”), or Sto Hoven (“One hundred shits”). The group translates its name into English as “Out of shit”. Expats.cz, 25 May; BoingBoing.net, 26 May 2021.
NESSIE DOWN UNDER
Meanwhile, in Portland, Australia, another mystery artist has paid homage to a classic fortean phenomenon during the country’s most recent lockdown, constructing a Loch Ness Monster out of car tyres on the town’s beach. It has been positioned so that it is underwater most of the time and only fully appears at low tides. Retired local art teacher Robyn McDonald said: “It’s so well-positioned and those tidal elements bring more intrigue as it disappears for most of the day.” The local council issued a statement about the artwork, saying “We thought international borders were closed, but it seems we have an escapee from Scotland in our town; fortunately the Covid test came back negative”. Abc.net.au/news, 4 June 2021.