aWays to Fathom began as an embodied experiment to wrap our minds around the enormity of the collective grief in the air in the wake of Covid-19. By repeating a gesture of remembrance (sewing a single sequin for each Covid death) we hope to humanize the overwhelming data and to grasp the ongoing impact of our collective loss.
Over the course of the next year, aWays to Fathom will grow to reflect the 21,482 Covid deaths in New England in 2020 and be presented as part of Abridged, an evening length work Monkeyhouse is developing. Inspired by the Dictionary of Negative Space, Abridged looks at our lack of language for death, dying, and loss.
aWays to Fathom is funded by Monkeyhouse’s Covid Collaborations.
Over the course of the next year, aWays to Fathom will grow to reflect the 21,482 Covid deaths in New England in 2020 and be presented as part of Abridged, an evening length work Monkeyhouse is developing. Inspired by the Dictionary of Negative Space, Abridged looks at our lack of language for death, dying, and loss.
aWays to Fathom is funded by Monkeyhouse’s Covid Collaborations.
aWays to Fathom: Middlesex Edition
aWays to Fathom: Middlesex Edition is the first iteration of the aWays to Fathom project to be presented, showing the 2729 Covid deaths in Middlesex County in 2020.
Umbrellas are a recurring motif in our collaborations together. We sit under and carry umbrellas to protect us from sun and rain, but in the coming months and years we will not be able to shelter from the losses we carry out of 2020. Grief is no longer something we can or should only hold internally. It is, quite literally, in the air around us and none of us is going through it alone.
We are curious about ways to choreograph opportunities for empathy and connection. As such, we invite you to relax for a few minutes in the presence of the sculpture, take a deep sigh of acknowledgement and observe the patterns of color the sequins radiate about the landscape.
We are curious about ways to choreograph opportunities for empathy and connection. As such, we invite you to relax for a few minutes in the presence of the sculpture, take a deep sigh of acknowledgement and observe the patterns of color the sequins radiate about the landscape.
- How do they affirm the beauty of those lives in the wake of this tremendous loss?
- How many people do you know who are mourning?
- How can we gently interact with this fragile landscape of fresh grief?
Umbrella Art Walk
aWays to Fathom: Middlesex Edition is one of six works that make up the Change is in the Air Art Walk! You can find all the pieces and even listen to an audio tour here!
Monkeyhouse will be doing an Artist Instagram Takeover for The Umbrella on Saturday, April 24th! |
Directions
The simplest access to aWays to Fathom: Middlesex Edition is by taking a walk through Simon Willard Woods. There is room to park a handful of cars at the trailhead. From there, the walk is about 3/4 of a mile. This is the flatter of the two paths, but it still involves navigating some roots at the outset.
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Alternately, you can park on Nashawtuc Road, take a right on Sqaw Sachem Trail, and enter the woods at the end of the road. (The path turns right almost as soon as you are off the road. When that small path ends take a left onto the rail trail.) This route is somewhat shorter but involves some small, winding, uneven paths through the woods.
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Unfortunately, these paths are not on Google Maps, but hopefully the map above is helpful in guiding your way!
Below is the GPS location of the actual sculpture.
Below is the GPS location of the actual sculpture.
Accessibility
aWays to Fathom: Middlesex Edition is located on a rail trail on Concord Land Conservation Trust land. Most of the path from the Simon Willard Woods trailhead is wide and relatively even, but it is still a dirt path. The site is likely accessible to many people using mobility devices, but perhaps not all. In the coming days we will add more information about accessibility options, including photos and videos of the site so visitors can come prepared.
This site is 100% dog friendly!
This site is 100% dog friendly!
Things to think about before arriving:
- Visiting the site involves a fair amount of walking. The slowest journey on the longest path took us about 20 minutes.
- There are bugs of the itchy bitey kind. You may want bug spray!
- There is poison ivy along (but not on) the trail. Most people should be fine but our more than human friends may want to stay on the trail.
- There are no bathrooms at or near the site. The closest public bathrooms are at the Concord Visitor Center.
Special Thanks
- The Umbrella Arts Center
- Caroline Provost
- Concord Land Conservation Trust
- Miner Nagy Family Gift Fund
- Russell Holman
- Kim Holman
- Kwaq