Belgian environmental artist Mie Preckler began work on her concept piece while an artist in residence at I-Park in 2002. After weeks of walking, mapping, studying and sketching, she ultimately identified the perimeter of an abandoned gravel pit on the property as the area that would become the focus of her project.
Mie's Trail, as the piece is now known, reveals the complex beauty of the natural process of reclamation that has taken hold on this once desolate site. And through Mie's gentle editing of the landscape, natural 'gardens' have emerged from the underbrush and detritus of nature's steady cycles.
Mie has returned many times since 2002 to maintain and refine the piece. The work was publicly unveiled at Open House in October 2004 and was immediately and enthusiastically embraced by the I-Park community.
Take a moment to explore the trail by linking here to Mie's website. Take your time, there's lots to see, lots of ways to virtually experience what is now one of the highlights of a visit to I-Park and an inspiration for the future Gardens at I-Park program. It is emblematic of the type of deeply site-specific integrations of artistic imagination with a precious natural landscape that I-Park aspires to foster.
An actual walk along Mie's trail takes about 50 minutes. We'll have group tours of the walk at our upcoming Open House on October 28 and at select times during 2007. Although individual walks are not possible at this time, if you've got a group that would like to experience the trail first hand, please contact the office and we'll make every effort to accommodate your request.
www.miepreckler.com/gravelpit
