A building site has been transformed into a garden: using the stones unearthed during the digging, the newly installed cranes, and a great deal of patience, a tranquil rock garden has been created in the courtyard of Dalslands Studio, which will soon be framed by fresh, growing grass.
The transformation of the courtyard at Dalslands Studio into a rock garden began for a rather unromantic reason: the ground was dug up to lay new sewage pipes and cable ducts – and in the process, countless stones dating back to the time when the Dalslands Canal was built came to light. The Dalsland Canal was built in the mid-19th century under the supervision of engineer Nils Ericson; in just a few years, some 12 kilometres of canal were dug or blasted to connect the region’s many lakes into a continuous waterway.
Suddenly we found ourselves faced with a treasure trove of stones of all sizes – material that was not to be discarded, but rather brought back into the garden. So, without further ado, I tried my hand at garden design: flowerbeds were edged with stones, a small wall was built to create a new bed, and an existing pile of stones was enlarged. Lars, who was visiting, built a very beautiful fountain from this pile, which now stands as a tranquil focal point in the courtyard. In some places, it still looks like a stony field in the Swabian Alb – small stones everywhere, which need to be collected bit by bit – and the grass has yet to grow back. So I sit there, practising patience and literally waiting to ‘hear the grass grow’.
At the same time, Simon and Jonas have installed the cranes. The courtyard now forms a new ensemble: cranes flying up the spiral staircase, beneath which lies a stone slab made of the same material as Hajo’s gravestone, and the rock garden, which creates its own tranquil atmosphere. Once the grass has grown thick again, this formerly dug-up construction site will have become a garden landscape in which historic stones, new sculptures and everyday life at Dalslands Studio intertwine naturally. A wonderful setting in which to exhibit sculptures. A plan for next year’s art walk. I have already approached artists with outdoor sculptures about this.