Karen Macher Nesta from Peru is, in addition to two sculptors from Venezuela, the third representative of artists from South America to participate in the Forma Viva of Kostanjevica. The basic concept of her sculpture, which is the second moving sculpture in the Forma Viva open air sculpture collection, is its flexibility. Interestingly enough, the first mobile sculpture exhibited in the sculpture park of Kostanjevica, named Apotheosis of Bolivar, was created in 1982 by another artist from South America, namely by Carlos Medina from Venezuela; both have been placed in close proximity. The artist’s principle aim was to accentuate her sculpture’s tactile features and thus its interactive character. Visitors are allowed to touch its leaves and by manipulating them emphasize the sculpture’s flexibility, which is based on the constructivist approach of Laszlo Moholy – Nagy, one of the most prominent modernists. According to Nagy, the spectator should abandon the role of a mere static observer but adopt the kinetic energy of a sculpture and be transformed into a moving and relaxative creative force. This particular task of the moving force has been occasionally relegated to the wind, which adds an ecological dimension. In addition to swinging the transversal parts of the sculpture, the wind will also produce a sound by knocking them together in the center. This simulated heartbeat serves as a symbolic reminder that the nature around us is alive, as is alive the sculptural form symbolically represented in the very name of the Forma Viva symposium. The use of natural materials, their kinetic characteristics, and the creation of natural sound are regular features of Macher Nesta’s land art installations and reflect her commitment to ecological activism.
Goran Milovanović, Curator of the Bozidar Jakac Gallery. Kostanjevica na Krki, Slovenia.
