The Jersey Green Rope
Marrakech Green Rope, photograph by William Bock
Join artist William Bock to create The Jersey Green Rope inspired by ancient Irish tradition
Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 July 2024, 10am to 12pm at the Fish Market and 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Broad Street (opposite the Post Office, next to the fountain)
From Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 July, people in Jersey are invited to help Ireland based multidisciplinary artist William Bock in the heart of St Helier create a giant rope from locally harvested wild plants. This rope, described as a ‘social sculpture’ will be crafted by the Island’s community. The making of the rope will take place in the Fish Market between 10am and 12pm and then on Broad Street by the fountain between 12.30pm to 2.30pm. People are invited to help craft the rope, be it for just ten minutes, or are welcome to stay for hours.
During the process participants will learn about Sugán rope making (an Irish straw rope). Throughout the week the rope will grow as the community gathers to connect through nature and conversation, twisting and creating the The Jersey Green Rope together. On Saturday 20 July The Jersey Green Rope will make its final journey along the south coast from La Rocque to St Helier.
The Jersey Green Rope is part of Abundant Futures, a long-term, socially engaged project commissioned by ArtHouse Jersey and led by Romanian artist Dana Olărescu which works with artists and organisations to develop a programme exploring food justice from the perspective of Jersey’s migrant communities, focusing on resources, skills and agency.
Sherkin Green Rope Workshop
William Bock is a multidisciplinary artist based in southwest Ireland who explores relationships between people and the environments they inhabit. He creates experiential, social art projects that are specific to place, connecting us to our common ground and the ecology we find ourselves living in. Drawing from folk traditions and vernacular history on the land, the artist creates socially engaged projects rooted in place that engage with experiences of migration, ecology, colonial history, climate change and identity.
Artist WIlliam Bock said of the project “I see this public sculpture as a catalyst to bring people of all cultures together to reconnect to our natural world. The longer the rope gets, the more important connections are being made. This July I challenge you to make the Jersey Green Rope the longest rope yet! (the Irish Green rope is 70 metres long!) We’d like to extend an extra special thank you to those at Jersey’s Fish Market who have allowed us to carry out this special work in such an iconic Island space and to the National Trust for Jersey who have supported us in harvesting of local grasses.”
The Jersey Green Rope Project takes place between Tuesday 16 and Friday 19 July, from 10am to 12pm at the Fish Market (Beresford Street) and then 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Broad Street (opposite the Post Office, next to the fountain).
To learn more about Abundant Futures click HERE.
ACCESSIBILITY: We want to be open and accessible to all visitors to ensure that the widest number of people can enjoy our exhibitions and events. If you require any further information please contact us by email at info@arts.je or phone +44 (0)1534 61752.
