b.Themes forArt in Aden

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Why are themes important forArt in Aden?These themes are based on ‘subjects of interest’ that people feel are most interesting orimportant for Aden.

Using themes for the development of art projects in Aden, can help to give a clear message to the audience and a focus for artists. For examples visitors or school groups may be enticed by a specific themed programme that looks at something they are studying or interested in. Themed programmes also make it easier to add in other kinds of interpretation and events around the theme, such as talks, film screening, workshops e.t.c.

Exploring one theme at a time... may assist in creating a connection between different pieces of artwork and also a connection between the artworks and other programmes and events happening in the park or in fact in Scotland.

A programme over the years that addresses different themes...also adds to the variety and changing offer of the arts programme in a way that keeps people intrigued about what is new and up next.

A lot of themes are already interpreted in some ways in the park, for example through the displays in the museum and signage around the footpaths. The comments below therefore try to pick up the less represented aspects of these themes.

Aden is really fortunate that there are a variety of people working in the park with specialist knowledge of these themes, such as Museum staff, Countryside Rangers and Landscape Service Staff. There are also people living in the local communities with their own knowledges, research or stories about many of these subjects. Collaboration and working with any of these people in the research and design phase for art projects is therefore really important and a valuable methodology to consider.

‘The park is a man made environment within the countryside, with built and natural heritage elements, what is missing is the connection between all of these’

(Stakeholder meeting)

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A short list of Themes of Art in AdenIt’s also important to recognise these are interconnected themes. Whilst it might work to programme certain events or commissions thematically, artists shouldn’t be discouraged from thinking about the relationship between these themes.

Heritage is deeply connected to the environment, the natural elements and climate have steered the direction of agriculture. In this, these themes should just be seen as starting points. To be pushed, expanded and explored in ambitious and new directions.

Secrets, mystery and stories

‘Small and secretive’ was one of the most important characteristics that people thought Art for Aden should have. People want to search and to discover.

Artworks can embed stories into places, and provide new perspectives into the unseen, both the imagined and the almost invisible. Artwork can help us to explore hidden landscapes, underground, underwater, viewpoints into treetops and the microscopic magnified.

‘We are permanently searching for the original site of the Deer Monastery, it could be in or very close to the park,we do an archaeology dig each year to look further. It really gets the kids interested too’

(Member of Book of Deer Project)

‘There’s a badger set we’ve filmed at night in this part of the park, and here’s the site of a big boulder of bedrock that’s believed to be a prehistoric standing stone’

(Meeting with Landscape Service Officer)

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Ancient History

The ancient history of the park is still being uncovered, it is a source of excitement for those involved in its research and it is a time period that is largely not yet interpreted for visitors to the park.

Whilst some of the archaeological discoveries cannot be unearthed as visitor attractions for fear of ruin, the shapes of ancient structures, the ways of life of those ancient inhabitants in Aden, the tools, the clues are all a valuable source for artistic inspiration.

The park has remains of bronze age hut circles, made from the surrounding clay and have a likeness to 1950’s land art, bringing to mind the work of post modernist Long, Nash and Goldsworthy. A study of the ancient history of the park can tell us the untold chapter in early farming from the Neolithic, medieval through to present day.

‘The ancient architecture of the building and structures in the park is really fascinating (stone circles, hut circles, neolithic features,) there is some archaeological evidence recently found in the park that’s believed to be pictish - this is really exciting as there is very little in the way of pictish evidence in this part of Aberdeenshire’

(Discussion with Museum Staff)

‘How do we use art to capture the ancient in a contemporary way? This is essential’

(Meeting with member of Book of Deer)

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Land and agriculture and food

Aden Country Park is in the heart of agricultural Aberdeenshire. The park tells the story of local farming through The Farming Museum and Hareshowe Farm. There is wide scope for art in Aden to extend this subject, to interpret related aspects to the history of agriculture, in ways that interact with the outdoor environment and the land.

The relationship between traditional rural farming and modern practices is not yet told, from crofts through to today’s allotments and the ingredients of the food in the cafe. To visitors, ‘farming’ is the core theme that the park already deals with, it’s a unique focus that has a lot of potential to be animated, re-interpreted and challenged through exciting, active and thought provoking art projects. The artworks can connect this rich history to matters of today, supply chains, local sourcing, seasonal produce and food sovereignty.

In terms of applying this theme, there is the potential in the coming years of this strategy for the art projects to tie thematically into the refurbishment of the museum services in the park. Art programmes could also look to this theme in other ways relating to structure, just as you have a crop rotation, why not an ‘art rotation’

‘We need to teach people about sourcing locally, and modern agriculture’

(Conversation with cafe owner)

‘Some people here, still grow in old fashioned ways, people make all sorts in their plots, mostly from reclaimed or legally recycled stuff, it’s quite creative really.’

(Conversation at Aden Allotments)

‘There is a gap in the story that the museum tells about farming. It ends with the 1950’s / 60’s. The story of modern agriculture, which surrounds the park is missing. This might be a gap that artists could respond to.’

(Museum Staff)

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The Environment, Nature andthe River

One of the best treasures of Aden is its variety of habitat which is healthy, vibrant and well maintained. The park is beautiful and green, rich in biodiversity and native species.

The natural history of the park is just as colourful, with its architectural rhododendrons and remains of conservation fashions. The River is another, much loved feature of the park and a valuable part of its overall habitat tapestry. The River Ugie is also a place for play and imagination for visitors. The park is a changing landscape, it is a planned and planted environment for nature and people, which presents a wealth of opportunity for creative interpretation and education around the ecological environment.

‘Every tree has a different bark’

(Meeting with Lanscape Service officer)

‘I love the patterns in nature, you could do artistic things with them’

(Visitors to the park)

‘A dark sky area if possible’

(Questionnaire response)

‘I love the Flowers in the park, snowdrops are

particularly spectacular’

(Visitor to the park)

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Local Language

Aden has a relationship with language which is deeply historical. Starting with the Book of Deer, an ancient illustrated script believed to originate from the monastery of Deer, sighted somewhere in or close to the park. The local relationship with Doric is also significant, with little reference to this in the park itself. The North East Folk Archive is an audio based collection of traditional local songs and stories, largely inaccessible to visitors, but a rich resource for interpretation and inspiration for art projects in the park. As an environment, Aden also has its own language, which is about rhythms in nature, the seasons, bird song and the weather.

‘I’d love to see the use of words and language, doric’s really important here, perhaps something that’s an audio piece repeating the framing history?’

(Park visitor at the Christmas Fayre)

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Global Connections

It might not be an obvious choice of theme, but in terms of making artworks relevant to contemporary situations for the park and it wider geographical location, the theme of ‘Global Connections’ could be extremely interesting and relevant. The park is home to a wide range of species that are in fact not native to the area. The trees in the arboretum are all from different countries, beautiful and exotic features of the park, with little interpretation about the countries of origin.

The population of Mintlaw and surrounding villages is increasing, with new arrivals from the cities. Migration from people to birds is part of the present and historical movement between Aden and elsewhere. The wider geographical area of Aberdeenshire as a site is about production, imports and exports of local natural and produced resources. There is a historical shift from times when rural Aberdeenshire was about self sufficiency, to the current situation which is deeply connected to global trade.

‘Victorian arboretum is the best part of the park, I think it’s amazing that there are all these trees from

different countries’

(Park visitor at Aden Christmas Fayre)

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