Gairloch based artist Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie & Indian artist Somu Desai are involving some local school children in the area to create an installed artwork on the Beinn Eighe nature reserve near Kinlochewe. The public will be able to explore and discover the installed art-works after the 8^th of September.

“We intend to involve local schoolchildren to create a body of art that will be integrated into the environment around the Beinn Eighe nature trails.  This will allow and encourage them, and visitors to the reserve, to consider the mediums they will be using and the surroundings it will be placed in. For this first project, naturally found objects will be coated with foil and installed in strategic positions around the visitor trails so that people will seek them out or come across them, and consider about how nature can be manipulated and how the perception of it can be changed in a very simple manner. We are delighted with the positive responses we are getting from everyone, SNH have been very enthusiastic about what we are doing.”

This project is a precursor to Ceangal (Gaelic for connection), an international collaboration to create an ambitious programme of international artists residencies that will take place in the Gairloch area from September 2012.  Somu has travelled to Scotland for the first time to help organise and jointly lead the project, which up till now has been wholly developed between the pair of artists, via contact through social media and online conversations.

The main ethos of the Ceangal project is that it should be conducted with minimum expense and involve artists from the area, local schools and communities. We aim to enthuse people about art in general and encourage people to come to this area to experience and see art which otherwise is not generally accessible here.

Source: Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie