Manås

The most artistic forest I've ever seen, literally. The Manås site is home to an art community that challenges traditions and provokes thought. Each summer new pieces are installed in this area, and I was a part of a group given a tour of the land. I will provide explanations to the work that should receive it.



I did not know that the forest was artistic, until we started noticing these scattered about:

Try to find the abnormality before scrolling down

Three Giant Red Balls, find them yet?

The artist maintains that these pieces intend to draw your focus up into the trees. They make the tour interesting in many ways because you are constantly on the look out to try to find all 9.

This is absolutely hilarious. Upon first glance it appears as a normal statue in a crouched position looking out to the lake. But look closer and it is a very different reality.

Provocative art was in the mind of her creator. She wanted to challenge the idea that men are so comfortable, and indeed proud, when peeing in nature, but women cower behind bushes and do their business in private. The real humor is that in the summertime, the statue is a fountain.

This next piece I thought was cool on its own, so I didn't really listen when the tour guide presented it.

This semi-establishment is my personal favorite. The artist's message was to get people to think about the impact of their lifestyle. Around the time of Christmas, the artist hosted a large gathering to celebrate the onset of the holiday. The people ate until they were full, cleaned that which could be reused, and then disposed of the waste (food included) into the open-concept fireplace. The guests were given full view of the magnitude of their waste, and the harmful emissions released to the integrated living forest.

Come on in and grab a seat. Please don't take off your coat and stay a while.

This area was once owned by the Danish people. For many years the Swedes would invade, burn their village, but eventually be captured or driven out. Many of the captured Swedish vikings were hanged to their death. As a monument to this time, one artist erected this Great Red Wall in the area of the old oak tree from which the vikings were hanged.

When standing in front of the wall, you get a sense of homeliness in nature, almost as if you are secure and surrounded by walls on all sides.

Some pieces of art were inspired upon arrival to this land. For some artists though, there was a long journey that led to this inspiration. For one girl in particular, her journey began in Stockholm. She set on foot, and after 40 days she arrived. The ability to see the world through different shades is what gives an artist his or her ability. For the creator of this piece, she saw each of the 40 days in a different color. She would declare some days to be green, some to be blue, some red, and so on. As a whole, she saw the journey as being yellow. An odd way to describe it, yes; and this is how she expressed it.

Four trees were painted yellow on the inside only. I see it as a way to place her journey in one location--the middle of the circle of trees--similar to her description of the journey as one word.


Here are some other pieces of artwork found in the Manås forest:

It should be known that this area is the former location of a castle owned by the Danes, many times destroyed and eventually captured by the Swedes. On this land is also found a cattle ranch, and a completely organic one at that.

Inside the buildings, not necessarily those pictured above, we find dinner time for the cows. This is also their bathroom. A piece of machinery collects the excessive amount of waste. Disposing of this make some lovely noises that we were so privy to enjoy.

 The fattest cow I've ever seen!!