Welded steel circles, earth, wheat berries, The Roerich Pact*. Living installation, Galerie Art Mur, Montréal, Qc., March 2007.
The Roerich Symbol, named after Nicolas Roerich, is the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. Recognized internationally in 1935, it was a symbol to protect cultural monuments and artifacts in times of war. It designates areas as safe from destruction and means ‘no bombing’. The three centre circles are said to represent Art, Science and Religion, but have links dating back to Neolithic times.
Invested in sanctuary as a means of both personal and broader cultural preservation, I ask what is it that brings us to the end of each day? I am drawn to sanctuary as a model for the different social environments we can create, and am interested in sources of sustenance that feed our relationship to ourselves and to our communities.
Sustenance is what feeds us, both physically and metaphorically. Sustenance comes to me through all senses, when I am physically engaged in my body and directly participating in life and seasonal cycles.
*An inter-American treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments. The most important idea of the Roerich Pact is the legal recognition that the defense of cultural objects is more important than military defense, and the protection of culture always has precedence over any military necessity.