Future artistic scenarios in the Kentucky mountains
Not only news of closings and postponements in this period, but fortunately there is also some surprising new opening. One comes from the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, which could soon become an unusual destination for the art world. The initiative called Somewhere Appalachia aims to reconvert and redevelop old coal mines in eastern Kentucky.
The one who thought of this context as a possible flourishing artistic scenario is Brook Smith, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector of contemporary art, native of that state. The idea was born following his visit to the Hauser & Wirth space in New York, where he had the opportunity to see the massive sculpture of Berlinde De Bruyckere, Cripplewood of 2016, presented at the 2013 Venice Biennale According to the project, the sculpture, purchased in 2018 by Smith for about 1 million euros, will be located in the center of a pavilion on an old open-cast mine in Kentucky, around which gardens, parks with sculptures and artistic buildings will be created . “I felt that there was so much energy in that area and that my work would enrich it,” confesses the Belgian artist.
The initiative sees the collaboration of architecture students from the University of Kentucky, who are working on the design of the pavilion, a visitor center, spaces for galleries, shows, for artist residences and educational facilities. The projects created for this initiative will be presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale scheduled for 2021.
