Making New Walls |

A project with Paria Goodarzi and ISARO Community Initiative’s Youth Group

Over the 2022 summer holidays members of ISARO Community Initiative’s youth group worked with artist Paria Goordarzi to create a collaborative artwork at the site of a former fort in Bearsden. This process was documented by digital heritage volunteer Gaby Somarriba Rocha on the grounds of Bearsden Baptist Church.

ISARO Community Initiative are a charitable organisation based in Clydebank. They aim to empower communities to live in harmony, with strengthened mutual cultural understanding and greater global awareness. They also run a number of their own heritage projects which you can find out more about here: https://isaroinitiative.org.uk/projects-page/

We were initially introduced to each other, the project and the site through the warmth of the fire-pit and the roasting of halal marshmallows. The Romans believed that mallow sap, brewed like tea, could cure a sore throat.

Together, we were guided by Rachel and Mairi (Bearsden Baptist Church) through the ruins of the fort’s bathhouse. Contents of the latrines (pit toilets) shed light on what was eaten at the site and what was imported and cultivated from other parts of the world.

This is us walking through the landscape, paying attention to sensations we experienced along the way.

Listening to the sound cloud which has been installed as part of the Roman Granary Garden at Bearsden Baptist Church. The garden sits on the former Roman fort, and through the sound cloud we were able to catch pieces of overheard conversations and imagine day-to-day life at the fort. The sound installation was made by Black Goblin, along with members of the community at Bearsden Baptist Church in collaboration with the Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project.

You can experience it at home, here:

https://bearsdenbaptistchurch.com/woodland-sound-qr/

DRAWING THE IMPOSSIBLE

A collaborative drawing activity in reference to replica objects from everyday life at around 140 AD, along the Wall, found in the project handling kit.

YOGA MAT PRINTS

Paria worked with the group to make prints out of recycled yoga-mat foam based on graphic images that emerged from drawings we made.

OUR CANVAS BAGS

Paria shared her inspiration from artist Louise Nevelson’s sculptures, also known as ‘Walls’. Living in New York in the 1940s, Louise Nevelson became internationally famous for her sculptures made from scraps of wood and objects she found on the streets. She pieced these objects into ‘Wall assemblages’ and painted them black. Looking at this work, inspired by discarded objects, created a bridge for us to think about collections, heritage sites and the politics of what is valued.