What possibilities begin to appear when operations at a gravel pit come to a halt?
Last Friday, 19th February, Sorigué’s industrial complex in La Plana del Corb, Lleida, shut down to become a space of contemplation and reflection. The action took place as part of the project “Gravera Parada” and set the stage for the exhibition “Graves” in the Centre d’Art La Panera, in Lleida.
“Gravera Parada” by Lara Almarcegui is linked to the audio-visual piece “Gravera”, which forms part of the exhibition. The 10-minute piece was filmed in November 2020 and weaves different images of the frozen gravel pit in total silence and without any type of operation underway.
The collaboration of Fundació Sorigué and Sorigué made possible to turn the artist’s long-coveted idea of halting a gravel pit into reality, giving a new meaning to processes and materials that are inherently related to constant motion and change. The visitors who took part in the event were able to walk freely among the piles of aggregate, as well as the conveyor belts that usually transport and sort it. With all the machinery shut down, the event took place in abnormal calmness and silence — the complete opposite of the bustling, noisy atmosphere usually found in the gravel pit.
The exhibition “Graves” by Lara Almarcegui is open to public at Centre d’Art La Panera until 30th May 2021.
