Mummelsee. Draft for a Nature Sanctuary

Book project, 2007

The artist book contains texts (in German), photos, drawings and paintings dealing with the Mummelsee, a lake up in the mountains of the Black Forest and a site with a long mythological past suggesting the presence of spirits and transformational power.

Introductory paragraph

In 2004 I received the Mummelsee scholarship giving artists of all disciplines the opportunity for a stay at Mummelsee, a lake up in the mountains of the Black Forest and famous for its myths and legends. The scholarship aimed at promoting the symbiosis of nature and art and to update Black Forest mythology.

Examining literature about the lake’s mythological past made me curious if traces of it could still be discovered at Mummelsee today. In order to find out more I chose to enter a state of empathical meditation. This method opened my eyes to a vibrant world behind the factual surface of the lake corresponding to some of the old descriptions. I continued gathering information that I identified as coming from a spiritual dimension. The messages contain advice on how to use the metaphysical powers at the lake for healing and learning purposes. Some of the informations confirm what Grimmelshausen, author of »Simplicius Simplizissimus« wrote down in 1668, others remind of teachings from religious and mysticist traditions.

The immaterial qualities of Mummelsee had me examine the spiritual element in art which leads to its origins in religious cult. From this perspective the artist can be a creator and mediator familiar with shamanism, healing and prophecy. Regarding the situation at Mummelsee, artist and audience may engage in communication with the spirits of the lake, for example with the Genius Loci, a being that can be addressed directly in an intuitive and »interactive« way.

Hence artistic action takes into account the existence of invisible forces that make themselves felt in surprising ways. This type of process-oriented art work is site-specific yet can be applied to other locations accordingly. The artistic intervention takes place in the public space of nature and may include energy design, performances, such as rituals, and meditation.

The impact of the work grows if the public joins in with compassionate care. By showing devotion, participants increase the dynamism of the artistic process, allowing, for example, the training of abilities to perceive and communicate with a refined sensorium. Polarities as we know them will then no longer appear as contrasting but as harmoniously complementary. Allowing the perceiving mind to »see« with a loving heart levels the separation of subject and object inherent in modern thinking. The resulting experience enables to get deeply satisfying answers to the questions of life. It also suggests discovering the existential and transcendental core of art and its function.

In which way the religious character of this art project will have an effect on the participants remains to be seen. The process will show if the art of dealing with the spiritual energies of Mummelsee is valued, kept and passed on, or if it will be ephemeral and dissolve in numinous anonymity. In any case, everybody who feels attracted by the lake and by this approach is welcome to join. Loving attention will help to renew the cult status of the lake and to reinforce the location as an attractive contemporary art and leisure site.