THE LANDSCAPE | Richard Long (1945) is a British artist who makes minimal invasive marks (sculptures) in nature (landscape) by replacing existing objects (stones, wood….). This transformation of the landscape in Riga is also minimal, not by replacing existing trees, but by simply ADDING new trees. Thus transforming an irregular open space into an invasive rectangular defined green square. It makes all the difference.
THE HENGE | In the rectangular green square 16 stones are placed in a circle, a HENGE, exactly north to south orientated. This HENGE of stones make a strong and invasive sacramental space like the famous Stone Henge. Even more so because it is placed in a green rectangular space.
THE STONES | The stones are 1,3 x 3,7 meter and 4,05 meter high, with a floor plan in the shape of a SUNFLOWER leaf. They embody 16 niches (the largest 50 x 50 x 50 centimeter), each containing urns. The niches are closed with engraved tombstones (30 x 45 centimeter), each differently to make it personal. They are spread over the stone like real niches, in an orderly way, but not stacked and not shoulder to shoulder, so each niche and its tombstone have some privacy. To make it more personal there is a green in the niche for flowers and such. The space between two stones is both private as it is public.
THE MEMORY | The wooden plateau is 15 centimeter above the ground, so the stones look like they are rising from the ground, in this case a pool of water, to the sky, to the sun. In the plateau yellow pieces of glass are embedded like the leaves of a SUNFLOWER. They emphasize the circle, the centre. The SUNFLOWER articulates the sacramental space worthy for a CHAMBER of MEMORIES.
THE HENGE | In the rectangular green square 16 stones are placed in a circle, a HENGE, exactly north to south orientated. This HENGE of stones make a strong and invasive sacramental space like the famous Stone Henge. Even more so because it is placed in a green rectangular space.
THE STONES | The stones are 1,3 x 3,7 meter and 4,05 meter high, with a floor plan in the shape of a SUNFLOWER leaf. They embody 16 niches (the largest 50 x 50 x 50 centimeter), each containing urns. The niches are closed with engraved tombstones (30 x 45 centimeter), each differently to make it personal. They are spread over the stone like real niches, in an orderly way, but not stacked and not shoulder to shoulder, so each niche and its tombstone have some privacy. To make it more personal there is a green in the niche for flowers and such. The space between two stones is both private as it is public.
