The Clearing
The “clearing” reference is to Heidegger - via Tomas Demand's 2003 Lichtung / Clearing work. There are a number of other project references including Tacita Dean's 2007 film Michael Hamburger in which the emigre poet describes his English apple orchard and the continental roots of the tree / apple species. Dearn’s nostalgic film presents the idea of tree species – like cultures – being the flotsam and jetsam that washes up on English shores. These thoughts were the departure point which brought us to the forest like gothic forms that also have a particularly Anglo French origin. It seemed appropriate to celebrate this architectural form in Folkestone – which we imagined as the arrival point for master builders and masons past.
The connection between gothic and pre modernist early 20th century architectural expressionism, particularly that found in central Europe and the proponents of which were architects such as Bruno Taut and Han Poelzig, is a particular interest to us and influence on our practice.
The installation is purposefully immersive. We want to challenge the visitor to the space’s sensory engagement and to explore the feeling that the vertical gothic tree like forms create and the primal response to occupy or gather in the spaces or the clearing that is created between.
