AN exhibition exploring the complicated and controversial relationship between the Elan Valley and Birmingham opened last week.
Elan Links and the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) present ‘Watershed’, an exhibition exploring the relationship between Birmingham and the Elan Valley – two communities linked by water. The exhibition, which started on Thursday, June 29, runs until November. It is on show at the MAC in Birmingham’s Cannon Hill Park area
It includes work by six resident artists who have reflected upon a special area of Mid Wales, on the edge of the Cambrian mountains, which has been the source of Birmingham’s water for nearly 120 years.
In the late 19th century, unsafe water led to widespread disease in the growing industrial city of Birmingham. A controversial Act of Parliament was passed, enabling the compulsory purchase of the Elan Valley by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department.
A series of man-made lakes were created on the land by damming the Elan and Claerwen rivers, and over 100 occupants of the Elan Valley were forced to leave their homes, many without compensation. The subsequent network of 5 reservoirs (a sixth, Dol y Mynach, was never finished) have supplied Birmingham with clean water since 1904.
Esther Wakeling, of Elan Links, a lottery funded scheme which aims to secure the unique heritage of the Elan Valley, said: “Watershed is the culmination of five years of artist residencies and fellowships at the Elan Valley.
“Resident artists immersed themselves in Elan, learning about the history of this unique landscape, what makes Elan special and what challenges we now face.
“Watershed brings some of these impressions together to provoke questions about the history, and future of our water.”
Watershed presents artistic responses to this controversial change to Welsh land, the connections between these two distinctive landscapes, and the part that people play in nature’s balance.
The featured artists took part in a unique residency programme led by Elan Links. The exhibition spans photography, sound, film and painting and gathers material from the Elan Links archive, including a book of etchings from the lead engineer of the dam construction, Eustace Tickell, who was moved to capture the valley before it was flooded.
The exhibition is presented in both English and Welsh, suggesting some of the cultural differences between these two locations.
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Zillah Bowes presents four moon-lit portraits and landscape photographs from her ‘Green Dark’ series.
Daniel Crawshaw’s work ‘Enclave’, an oil painting developed from his ‘Ghost Notes’ series, explores the divisions between land and water in the Elan Valley.
Antony Lyons’ ‘Gathering Grounds’ is a series of macro photographs that respond to themes of water catchment, deep time and the microcosmos of the Elan Valley. His second presented work, Pipe Dreams, includes archival footage from the Rhayader community.
Kate Green, who is a curator of this exhibition as well as an exhibiting artist, presents her collection of work ‘Watershed Line’. She walked across the Elan Valley estate, documenting the concrete posts which mark the watershed line as she went. A collection of these photographs will be presented alongside songs written by her.
Isa Suarez’s ‘Forest Voices’ is a sound composition, which uses underwater and overtones of stream recordings made in the valley.
Rowena Harris, current artist-in-residence, showcases a video essay and audio trail, which explores the water and energy management system at the Elan Valley.
Roma Piotrowska, MAC curator, said: “The exhibition is a unique opportunity to present artworks in Birmingham that interrogate and respond to tensions surrounding the city’s water supply and the Welsh sacrifice of land.
“Watershed is part of MAC’s programme focused on sustainability, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Cannon Hill Park.
“A model of the Elan Valley remains in the park from 1962 – the same year MAC opened to the public. We hope the exhibition opens up conversations surrounding land, ownership, nature and legacy.”
Watershed will run until November 5 in the Terrace and Community Gallery at the Midland Arts Centre, with an opening event on September 1.
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