SERDE: FRONTIERS IN RETREAT

FRONTIERSIN RETREAT

SERDE2014/2015

Frontiers in Retreat is a five-year collaboration project that fosters multidisciplinary dialogue on ecological questions within a European network formed around artist residencies. The project sets out to examine processes of change in particular, sensitive ecological contexts within Europe, to reflect them in relation to each other and to develop new approaches to the urgencies posed by them. Moreover, the project recognises the necessity of multidisciplinary approaches to the current ecological concerns and aims to develop means and platforms for this through methods of contemporary art.The project is coordinated by HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. The project connects artist residency centres located in “remote” areas across Europe in order to provide a unique, transnational platform for investigating local and global ecological concerns. Frontiers in Retreat is realised by seven artist residency organisations in Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Latvia, Serbia, and Spain in collaboration with a Lithuanian art organisation that will develop the educational program of the project.The core of the project is formed by research and production residencies. 25 European artists repre-senting different cultures, generations and artistic approaches have been selected collaboratively by the project partners to develop new art works in response to the different ecological contexts of each residency site. During the coming years, the artists will circulate within the residency network and conduct artistic research driven by the particular ecologies of the sites.

FRONTIERS IN RETREATPROJECT (2013–2018)frontiersinretreat.org/frontiersinretreat.tumblr.com/serde.lv

Frontiers in Retreat is organised by HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme

in partnership with the following art organisations:Centre d'Art i Natura CAN (ES)Cultural Front GRAD (RS)Interdisciplinary Art Group SERDE (LV)Jutempus (LT)Mustarinda (FI)Scottish Sculpture Workshop SSW (UK)Skaftfell - Centre for Visual Art (IS)

Anna Rubio (ES)http://www.dansanatura.com

This project is focused on research and raise awareness of the relationship between art and ecolo-gy. Here I developed the following projects. The third project was located in the St. John Lutheran church, but I didn’t have permission to develop it. All the trees I met. II The work is a continuation of exploration with trees I started in Farrera in 2012 and continued in Java. Was performed on the Apple-ing Festival, with the collaboration of the musician Ruta Vitkaus-kaite.What an intimate connection can be established between a tree and a person. What an example of health, strength, about what life is and how symbols are hidden in them.From the first day in Aizpute I was captivated from the trees, and specially with you. Very close to SERDE you welcomed me. Your sensual forms captivate me and, at the same time, I feel you big and strong and full of life. Horizontal branches of selfish beech, stretching majestically drinking light.Every day I come to your daily life. Children going quickly to school, women going shopping, some drunk, some distracted dog and the leaves. How many generations wished to climb you!From the second day I couldn’t resist to discover your body. The diameter of your strong branches allows me to feel safe and moving every day for your light relief. I explore you and I see that you are man and woman at the same time and I like that. Complete, holistic. You excite me, welcome me and swing me. The moss that you nourish, dress you with a dark and soft green. It’s a dress custom made just for you. I'll be another ant again, coming up, a ripe fruit, and now also a lover.Fagus, faig, dižskabārdis...

Stairs and Water.It was an improvisation work coming from the ideas of Amerta Movement. Listening the place for 22 days and exploring my presence inside its presence. This work was showed the 26th of Septem-ber and still in process.I found this place on the second day. Some mysticism, wind, trees and water. These stairs remind me of old structures, of access to a temple. As if they wanted to transport me up to the sky and down again toward the lake… Reminding me of the circularity of life.Suddenly, I realise how much the water is present in this place, in this town. I feel the moisture on my feet, mouth, in my bones and heart. Nature is so strong, water is so strong! The green invading and gaining ground against grey human constructions. Hopeful smile. Meanwhile, invading new areas of grey, nature begins its slow and patient attack in other places. Like this moss on the stairs and the leaves that are right now falling.

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Bartaku (BE)http://www.bartaku.netAronia MorphingSince five years artist/researcher Bartaku (Bru) has been carrying out artistic research on the 1Ha Aronia M. Power Plantation (1HAMP), a former kolchoze in the town of Aizpute.

In September 2014 he observed at 1HAMP that Aronia M. was dissatisfied with its scientific nomen-clature: "Aronia Melanocarpa (Michx.) Ell.". Instead, a new name arose: ‘Baroa Belaobara’ to be used from September 2014 onwards. Consequently this renaming created a void since the existing scientific name “Aronia M.” no longer represents anything. Henceforth, a new form emerged, as a mental image, a sketch, a handmade clay shape stained with Baroa B. Kabuki Paint. So, as a next step: how to make this new shape ?

This “Aronia Morphing” requires utilizing existing and emerging biotechnologies and it needs to be investigated which will be the best techniques: from In vitro cell culture over manipulation via nutrition to hydroponic seed growth and ultimately morphogenesis: the identification of master regulatory genes that control shape and size of the berry. The latter ultimately leading to a Baroa B. bush that arguably could be seen as a 3D-printing device.

The use of these techniques add questions to the research including the ethical and biological implications as well as the social, historical, ethnographic and food energy context.

Ultimately, Aronia Morphing is about rethinking our understanding of our relation with our own identity / body, other animals, plants as well as life itself.

Also part of the research will be the development of the partners needed. As for scientists, Janis Liepins, researcher at the University of Latvia, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, will act as mentor and guide. Arts organizations that at the time of writing expressed their will to be partner in the undertakings are Serde Arts Center (Lat) and Hiap (Fin).

This initial stage of the research will take place at Serde Arts Center and at 1HAMP during max. 6 weeks In Aug./ Sept. 2015. At various stages of the 3-4 year artistic research the process will be presented, with its complexities of ethics and aesthetics - In a semi/living, preserved or documented form that include the methods involved in the creation.

The “Aronia Melanocarpa” is part of the Rosacea family, and is used as a food additive (color depth) and for juice and wine esp. in the region of the great lakes (US, Canada) and East-Central Europe. The berry contains of the highest levels of anti-oxidants registered, and has been used for its medicinal properties (lowering blood pressure; anti-inflammatory...). As opposed to many other fruits / vegetables like tomatoes, corn, apples/pears,... the Rosacea family has not been researched as profoundly (genome not sequenced f.i.). This means that this artistic research will contribute to the development of knowledge.

Aroniacentrism! The thought was voiced and some observed a series of luminescent white triangles piercing the skin of a shiny purple Aronia M. berry. -- Bartaku

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Bartaku (BE)http://www.bartaku.netAssignmentSerde-Signe asked: “could you show an overview of some of your work that you made as a Serde resident in the past years?” Her question was fused by the hosting by Serde of participants of the 2013-2018 residency project ‘Frontiers in Retreat’. The Liepaja Media Art students asked “How did you get to know Serde”? The answer to this question most often consists of word constructions like:

“In 2009 I gave a talk at Serde as part of a conference organized by RIXC. I showed some images of organic dyes converting light into electrical energy. Afterwards, someone told me I might be interested in a berry growing on a field just outside of town. Since this first visit in 2009, annually I found myself returning to ‘1HAMP’ (1Ha Aronia m. Power Plantation):leading to photo series, public labs, performance etc. Often the work is made with local people, Serde residents and often Latvian scientists.”

Ance 2011, -12, _13, -14: “Your stuff is in the Back Room Closet"Ance 2015: “Your stuff is in the Flamingo Closet in the Back Room" ‘Residence Take-off’ Rituals

During the Frontiers in Retreat Incubator plant biologist Anete Borodušķe performed a science talk on Aronia revealing it being an apple rather than a berry. Keeping the spectators focus effortlessly she explained possible techniques for growing and morphing Aronia. Simultaneously, in a lab in Riga, new Aronia is becoming. A bit later Bartaku showed in the Serde patio an overview of Aronia M./Baroa B. work with a ‘postcard on a vertical string’-talk.

BAROA BELAOBARAThe Aronia morphing experiment is a consequence of Aronia’s discontent with its scientific name ‘Aronia Melanocarpa, observed at 1HAMP in September 2014. The new variant will have a more suitable shape that fits the nomenclatura better. Also, it was sensed that the best name for the existing berry (apple) bush should be ‘Baroa Belaobara’. Bartaku is used for executing Aronia’s will.

The AM/BaBe Distrib. Labsy’ was an interpreted version of Anete’s lab space, located in the top right room of Serde’s workshops. It contained the Aronia morphings, some fake lab elements and a real flow hood with desinfecting Soviet U.V. lamp (recup). Anete performed an in vitro re-enact-ment facing fake camera’s and a photo of the real 11 Smema-camera’s longing for Aronia Baroa Belaobara to blossom in May 2015. (It did not).

White Suits Harvesting‘Is this for performative reasons?’ the white suit with Baroa juice-painted number ‘8’ asks me. It torpedoed me back to the purple giant circle -indeed like a giant Baroa berry- on my right hip some months before. Some weeks after 1HAMP wanderings. It was possibly not from a tick. Possibly if was from a horsefly. Possibly now also a carrier of the Borrelia bacteria.

SKIN has to be taken off via a biopsy. A start-up University-spin off biomed Lab proposed it during the meeting where we discussed the urge of mingling fundamentally human pigment with Baroa pigment. So that it’s relation with the Sun can shine via the human-skin, expressing the new future shape for Aronia M.

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Gints Gabrāns (LV)http://www.gabrans.com“Metabolic Dominance”

In 2004, the US Defense Department’ s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced a competition with the aim of providing soldiers with the means of carrying out battle operations and relocating without food stores. Under the project “Metabolic Dominance” we offered genetically modified human ingestion system bacteria, which synthesize cellulose disintegrating enzymes.Cellulose is a simply sugar glucose polymer. It forms any plant cell walls. Such cellulose disintegrat-ing enzymes would give soldiers the chance to obtain nutrients from any available plants and timber, or else, in circumstances of urban warfare, from paper. For example, it if proves possible to create a full cellulose disintegration process, 11% more kilocalories can be obtained from 100 g of paper (which contains cellulose) than from 100 g of bread (400 and 355 kcal respectively).We have already created the first bacteria of this type. Outside the human body (G.G.), bifidobacte-ria from its ingestion systems were genetically modified, giving them the ability to synthesis cellulose disintegrating enzymes. This was done, in collaboration with the microbiologist Jānis Liepiņš and the company GenScript (www.genscript.com).In order to prevent genetically modified bacteria from coming into contact with a soldier ’s body, it is planned that biocapsules will be used which have developed by Dr. David Loftus Medical Director, NASA Ames Research Center, and which could be custom-adapted for the requirements of this project. Dr. Loftus was created the biocapsules so that transgenic organisms do not come into contact with the organism of an astronaut, and so that their synthesized molecules to protect astronauts from radiation. Biocapsules are made from composite carbon fiber, which is sufficiently dense to hold comparatively large synthetic organisms in the capsule, but also to be permeated by many smaller therapeutic molecules – in the case of our project, cellulose disintegrating enzymes synthesized by transgenic bifidobacteria.

“PostFOOOD”

UN estimates that by 2050 the number of world’s population will reach 9 billion, therefore it will be necessary to produce by 70 per cent more food. Thus instead of producing greater amounts of food the project offers other solutions and studies the interaction of these new ideas with culture, environment and human.The project Foood is based on the human’s (G.G.) genetic modification of metabolic bifidobacteria outside the body giving them the ability to synthesise an enzyme that can break down cellulose. Cellulose forms the cell walls of all plants. For the human metabolism, the indigestible cellulose cell wall reduces the nutritional energy value of food. Cellulose is glucose polymer of ordinary sugar. These cellulolytic enzymes would allow humans to make a third more efficient use of food from the plant world – potatoes, carrots, cabbage etc. that contain a significant amount of material that is indigestible by humans . They would also allow the more efficient use of completely new types of food resources even, for example, cellulose containing wood and paper.

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Joanes Simon Perret (FR)http://joanes-simon-perret.wix.com/artGrowing textile

Growing textile is an installation about 4 cities where I have spend time. Riga LV and Marseille FR, Aizpute LV, city where is SERDE residency and Montmeyrant FR the city where I was born.Riga and Marseille was both European Capital of Culture (2014 and 2013), They have aproximatly the same amound of population and the same size, but whene you look at the satelite view of these two cities you can easly notice how diferent are the spaces dedicate to the vegetation. Marseille have an high density of buildings and you can notice that the most of green spaces are some small private gardens hide from the street by a fence or a wall. There are also some small public parks. In Riga you can find some wastelands with will plants and they are open on the street, some large public parks, and also some grasse's space betwene the road and the pavement.If you compare Aizpute to Montmeyrant you can easly notice that the way of agriculture is very diferent. Around Montmeyrant you find some very geometricale fields separate by few trees, and almost no forest. Near Aizpute fields have a more organic shape, they are also some small forests and lakes all over.

From these observations I created a four parts installation where each one is an allegory of a city. On one side there is an handcraft weaving textile with also some other objects insert in (branchs, grasse, leaves, plastic bags and also other object associated to these cities). In plus there is some seeds introduce into weavings. The weaving associated to "Riga" have been weaved by Riga's citizen themself during an open workshop.The second side of each part is made with some obects that remenber my these cities: local brand advertising, postcards, toy cars giants flowers, piece of wood and all kind of objects found around. I put some seeds everywhere into the installation that grown thanks to an automatic watering systeme. The wartering systeme build with some randome plastic bottles, second hand pipes... it runs five minutes every hours and transforme the installations in a funny fountain. Durring 2 months plants grown, bloom and died through textiles and objects, changing slowly the installation.

Matisa Tirgus Little Model

The "galas paviljons" of Matissa Tirgus is an unused building since several years. Gradually the walls crashed, the roof leaks, the windows fall. Looking closely, I see that more than 20 species of plants were installed in the building. Mosses, grasses, youngs threes are growing on the walls and cracks of the building. Nature begins to reassert itself over the city.

So I decided to build this model of "Galas Pavijons" with brittle materials such as cardboard, paper, and install some seeds of different species. The quick growth of the plants transform the model and change the time and sizes scalls. The bean plant which is grown in a week becomes a three through a roof and cress seeds become bushes.

Through this installation, the slow movement of nature is recreated in accelerated and invites us to ask ourselves about the place that we give to plants in our life.

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Joanes Simon Perret (FR)http://joanes-simon-perret.wix.com/art"Human interventions vs natural landscape"

For this time in SERDE's residency I focused on the human intervention on the natural landscapes. I looked at the Latvian countryside and I noticed how close to the nature is still this culture. Many peoples are growing their own vegetables to eat. The agriculture lands are usually small and often a little bit patchy because of the non use of fertilizers. With this special view I felt very strange to find an electric pole in the middle of a field or an iron trafic sign just next to a gardening place. By the simplest intervention of painting and photographing on those objects I made them disappear in their landscapes and show the contradiction of the human interventions on the nature. Then I played with this idea by painting directly on natural elements and by this game, bring out the nonsenses of human interventions.

"The garden's Thieves-trap"

This sculpture is related to my first experience in SERDE . I was walking in some allotment gardens whene an angry guy came to scold me in latvian because he thought I was a thief. With the language difficulties it was hard to explain him that i was a french artist just looking for inspiration in those gardens. Finaly he anderstood me and I notice how important was gardens for latvians. It's not only a pleasefull place, it's also a true way of eating. For that reson they are very carefull of it and protect it again evry agretion!Consequently I made this huge trap to protect their gardens and catch thieves.

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Cultural Heritage as Resource(elaboration by Andrew Gryf Paterson)Cultural heritage includes inherited artefacts, attributes and systems from a particular locale, group or society that are passed on from past generations, maintained through actions in the present, and given over for the benefit of future generations. There are three forms of heritage to consider here:

• Tangible Culture (buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, artifacts, art)• Intangible Culture (folklore, traditional ways of doing, language, stories, knowledge)• Natural heritage (ecosystem and biodiversity)

Interdisciplinary art group SERDE's work and activity has been largely inspired by, and based upon these different aspects of cultural heritage noted above, and has included collaborations to explore human inter-relations with the local plant-environment and biodiversity. The following paragraphs give examples.

The site of SERDE's art and residency centre is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Aizpute, and has been restored since 2002 by SERDE as both practical and pedagogical work in traditional construction methods. This work alone was recently recognised as a significant contribution to regional tangible cultural heritage. One of the first material installations they made in the town in the early years was an outdoor kiln for firing ceramics, according local tradition. Since 2007 they have also hosted an iron-casting symposium gathering local and international sculptors and metal-workers. So, development of physical infrastructure and workshops for making artefacts and art objects – wood, metal, ceramic – have developed in hand with the practice and enabling traditions of making and doing, inviting younger and established artists and makers get involved.

Further, the ways of doing of local people and regional ethnic communities, including narratives of experiences have been documented in artist-led ethnographic expeditions and published in the Tradīciju Burtnīca (Exercise/Notebooks of Traditions) publication series. To give examples of maker and project developments, the earliest publication Brandava gatavošana Viduskurzemē [Moonshine/vodka making in Central Kurzeme] and related public demonstrations led towards a national innovation award in intangible cultural heritage in 2007. This work inspired a practice-led investigation into micro-brewing with local producers (Alus gatavošana [Beer brewing], 2009), and the development of new workshop facilities, and hosting gatherings of regional micro-brewers. Another publication, Vācēju kultūra Viduskurzemē / Foraging in Central Kurzeme (2010), documented the use of local plants and fungi in the region, a reflection of the human value of the biodiversity in the region still appreciated by some residents. This led to the ongoing artistic-research project 1 Ha Aronia Melanocarpa Power Plantation (2011-) by Bartaku, in collaboration with SERDE, which harvested Aronia berries and processed them into liquids (wine, beer, syrup) and foods (candy, jam) according to traditional and experimental methods or recipes; but has also inspired an experimental musical overture presented in Riga Capital of Culture 2014 programme.

These processes encourage the idea that cultural heritage can be not only an inspiration, but a source of both tangible and intangible material, as well as a knowledge-resource for artistic works or artist-led or grassroots investigations. Artists, craft-persons, makers, and cultural workers can contribute in the innovative re-valuing of cultural heritage, by developing alternative or new ways of developing, sharing and communicating heritage, including new formats such as participatory and informal or recreational learning workshops. In doing so, it nourishes collaboration between artists, cultural associations with other researchers, professionals, small-scale entrepreneurs, as well as ennobles local residents and citizens who hold and maintain traditional knowledge and ways of doing.

Resources are understood here as materials, services, skills, energy, talent, ability, knowledge or other

assets, which are utilized to support and produce benefit, not only to individuals and associations, but larger communities such as municipalities, regions or wider groups of people.With this background in mind, the 'Cultural Heritage as Resource' event from September 10-13th 2015 in Aizpute gathers together persons from various disciplines - arts, design, science, heritage - to share and explore practice and methods.It has long been said that culture is developed from some abundance or surplus in the society or environment. Coincidently, the occasion of gathering also takes place at the time of the annually-hosted Āboļošana (AppleThink) public event since 2012, where SERDE's residency artists and guests mix with local producers and craft-persons who share their products, both apple-based and otherwise. Apples (and Aronia berries) are an abundant local resource at this time of year and have associated traditions and ways of processing and conserving, for example juicing, preserving with sugar or fermenting to cider or wine.

The gathering also takes place in the context of the HIAP-led 'Frontiers in Retreat' programme, which promotes the "necessity of multi-disciplinary approaches to the current ecological concerns and aims to develop means and platforms for this through methods of contemporary art".

It is an occasion to extend into a wider interpretation of cultural heritage as resource--going beyond the tangible and intangible--to take into account natural heritage (ecosystems and biodiversity) which includes both Biotic (living things that make up an ecosystem) and Abiotic (non-living factors, eg. water, light, radiation, temperature, humidity, atmosphere, soil, stone) aspects. The inter-relationships and -dependences of these resources are also the conditions of life that we inherited from those who have came before us, that we maintain, or not, and that we pass on to those who will follow us in the future as previously or not. Resources can be classified as either Renewable (replenishing) or alternatively Non-renewable (finite, depleting, loss-y), but are often defined only from the perspective of whether they renew themselves in a time-spans meaningful to humans, rather than to non-humans. In-fact this human-centric perspective can lead to selfish and negative behaviours which are criticised as 'resource-hungry' or 'resource-grabbing', creating resource shortages. We cannot take for granted that they will continue to exist in the way that they currently do. There may be actual and potential resources existing at different times, and as well as those that have been displaced from one ecosystem, culture or community for various reasons.

Cultural heritage focuses our attention on the care and concern for the material and immaterial things that humans share in our environment, and the passing on of life-ways. It is sensitive to the sustainability of cultures and practices of value over longer durations of time. Conservation and stewardship provide ethics of responsible planning and management of resources, accepting or assigning responsibility to shepherd and safeguard the valuables of others. There is what Simon Thurley describes as a Heritage Cycle (2005), which gives an indication of how we can make the past part of our future: “By understanding (cultural heritage), people value it; By valuing it, people want to care for it; By caring for it, it will help people enjoy it; From enjoying it, comes a thirst to understand; By understanding it..” and so it goes round. However, what is considered valuable or heritage can change over time, compete with, and have different meaning for different stakeholders.

To summarise, Artists, makers, cultural producers and interdisciplinary practitioners or researchers concerned about ecological issues can learn from due attention, cyclical care and concern of heritage, imagining where to enter the cycle. Likewise the cultural heritage field can learn from intuitive, critical and experimental ways of investigating, communicating and presenting cultural heritage. Together they can consider an expanded notion of resources which includes the biotic and abiotic environments we live within as inter-related and inter-dependent with our tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Arguably all are affected by an age of crises: ecological in the case of

SERDE: INCUBATOR[September 10 - 13]

FRONTIERS IN RETREAT

CULTURAL HERITAGEAS RESOURCE

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climate change or breakdown, but also social and economic changes, disruptions and displacements.

ReferenceSimon Thurley, Into the future. Our strategy for 2005-2010. In: Conservation Bulletin [English Heritage], 2005 (49).

Cultural Heritage as Resource(elaboration by Andrew Gryf Paterson)Cultural heritage includes inherited artefacts, attributes and systems from a particular locale, group or society that are passed on from past generations, maintained through actions in the present, and given over for the benefit of future generations. There are three forms of heritage to consider here:

• Tangible Culture (buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, artifacts, art)• Intangible Culture (folklore, traditional ways of doing, language, stories, knowledge)• Natural heritage (ecosystem and biodiversity)

Interdisciplinary art group SERDE's work and activity has been largely inspired by, and based upon these different aspects of cultural heritage noted above, and has included collaborations to explore human inter-relations with the local plant-environment and biodiversity. The following paragraphs give examples.

The site of SERDE's art and residency centre is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Aizpute, and has been restored since 2002 by SERDE as both practical and pedagogical work in traditional construction methods. This work alone was recently recognised as a significant contribution to regional tangible cultural heritage. One of the first material installations they made in the town in the early years was an outdoor kiln for firing ceramics, according local tradition. Since 2007 they have also hosted an iron-casting symposium gathering local and international sculptors and metal-workers. So, development of physical infrastructure and workshops for making artefacts and art objects – wood, metal, ceramic – have developed in hand with the practice and enabling traditions of making and doing, inviting younger and established artists and makers get involved.

Further, the ways of doing of local people and regional ethnic communities, including narratives of experiences have been documented in artist-led ethnographic expeditions and published in the Tradīciju Burtnīca (Exercise/Notebooks of Traditions) publication series. To give examples of maker and project developments, the earliest publication Brandava gatavošana Viduskurzemē [Moonshine/vodka making in Central Kurzeme] and related public demonstrations led towards a national innovation award in intangible cultural heritage in 2007. This work inspired a practice-led investigation into micro-brewing with local producers (Alus gatavošana [Beer brewing], 2009), and the development of new workshop facilities, and hosting gatherings of regional micro-brewers. Another publication, Vācēju kultūra Viduskurzemē / Foraging in Central Kurzeme (2010), documented the use of local plants and fungi in the region, a reflection of the human value of the biodiversity in the region still appreciated by some residents. This led to the ongoing artistic-research project 1 Ha Aronia Melanocarpa Power Plantation (2011-) by Bartaku, in collaboration with SERDE, which harvested Aronia berries and processed them into liquids (wine, beer, syrup) and foods (candy, jam) according to traditional and experimental methods or recipes; but has also inspired an experimental musical overture presented in Riga Capital of Culture 2014 programme.

These processes encourage the idea that cultural heritage can be not only an inspiration, but a source of both tangible and intangible material, as well as a knowledge-resource for artistic works or artist-led or grassroots investigations. Artists, craft-persons, makers, and cultural workers can contribute in the innovative re-valuing of cultural heritage, by developing alternative or new ways of developing, sharing and communicating heritage, including new formats such as participatory and informal or recreational learning workshops. In doing so, it nourishes collaboration between artists, cultural associations with other researchers, professionals, small-scale entrepreneurs, as well as ennobles local residents and citizens who hold and maintain traditional knowledge and ways of doing.

Resources are understood here as materials, services, skills, energy, talent, ability, knowledge or other

assets, which are utilized to support and produce benefit, not only to individuals and associations, but larger communities such as municipalities, regions or wider groups of people.With this background in mind, the 'Cultural Heritage as Resource' event from September 10-13th 2015 in Aizpute gathers together persons from various disciplines - arts, design, science, heritage - to share and explore practice and methods.It has long been said that culture is developed from some abundance or surplus in the society or environment. Coincidently, the occasion of gathering also takes place at the time of the annually-hosted Āboļošana (AppleThink) public event since 2012, where SERDE's residency artists and guests mix with local producers and craft-persons who share their products, both apple-based and otherwise. Apples (and Aronia berries) are an abundant local resource at this time of year and have associated traditions and ways of processing and conserving, for example juicing, preserving with sugar or fermenting to cider or wine.

The gathering also takes place in the context of the HIAP-led 'Frontiers in Retreat' programme, which promotes the "necessity of multi-disciplinary approaches to the current ecological concerns and aims to develop means and platforms for this through methods of contemporary art".

It is an occasion to extend into a wider interpretation of cultural heritage as resource--going beyond the tangible and intangible--to take into account natural heritage (ecosystems and biodiversity) which includes both Biotic (living things that make up an ecosystem) and Abiotic (non-living factors, eg. water, light, radiation, temperature, humidity, atmosphere, soil, stone) aspects. The inter-relationships and -dependences of these resources are also the conditions of life that we inherited from those who have came before us, that we maintain, or not, and that we pass on to those who will follow us in the future as previously or not. Resources can be classified as either Renewable (replenishing) or alternatively Non-renewable (finite, depleting, loss-y), but are often defined only from the perspective of whether they renew themselves in a time-spans meaningful to humans, rather than to non-humans. In-fact this human-centric perspective can lead to selfish and negative behaviours which are criticised as 'resource-hungry' or 'resource-grabbing', creating resource shortages. We cannot take for granted that they will continue to exist in the way that they currently do. There may be actual and potential resources existing at different times, and as well as those that have been displaced from one ecosystem, culture or community for various reasons.

Cultural heritage focuses our attention on the care and concern for the material and immaterial things that humans share in our environment, and the passing on of life-ways. It is sensitive to the sustainability of cultures and practices of value over longer durations of time. Conservation and stewardship provide ethics of responsible planning and management of resources, accepting or assigning responsibility to shepherd and safeguard the valuables of others. There is what Simon Thurley describes as a Heritage Cycle (2005), which gives an indication of how we can make the past part of our future: “By understanding (cultural heritage), people value it; By valuing it, people want to care for it; By caring for it, it will help people enjoy it; From enjoying it, comes a thirst to understand; By understanding it..” and so it goes round. However, what is considered valuable or heritage can change over time, compete with, and have different meaning for different stakeholders.

To summarise, Artists, makers, cultural producers and interdisciplinary practitioners or researchers concerned about ecological issues can learn from due attention, cyclical care and concern of heritage, imagining where to enter the cycle. Likewise the cultural heritage field can learn from intuitive, critical and experimental ways of investigating, communicating and presenting cultural heritage. Together they can consider an expanded notion of resources which includes the biotic and abiotic environments we live within as inter-related and inter-dependent with our tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Arguably all are affected by an age of crises: ecological in the case of

September 10The day started by introductions the hosts (SERDE) and the Frontiers in Retreat framework (FiR) of gathering by Jenni Nurmenniemi from HIAP, followed then with a programme with art-science and non-human focus. The first part of the day included a history of RIXC research-led art investigations inbetween many fields by Rasa Smite; while yeast-researcher Janis Liepiņš spoke of his work with artist Gints Gabrāns in his postFOOOD project exploring alternative food solutions in collabora-tion with Acetobater xylinum bacteria; In-vitro biologist Anete Borodušķe followed with her collaborative research with FiR resident artist Bartaku and Ariona melanocarpa. After lunch, Bartaku shared a postcard-resume of his work in Aizpute with 1HAMP, the aronia plantation on the edge of town, leading to the opening of a temp. lab installation illustrating new growth. We all then went on a fieldtrip to the plants themselves for closer communion, insight and some cooperative harvesting. The evening was hosted kindly at Imants Lepsis's juicing-factory at Valtaiķi, with demon-strations of juicing, sterilisation and tasty consumptions inbetween dinner.

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climate change or breakdown, but also social and economic changes, disruptions and displacements.

ReferenceSimon Thurley, Into the future. Our strategy for 2005-2010. In: Conservation Bulletin [English Heritage], 2005 (49).

September 11Focused on cross-overs between artist-led cultural heritage work, social science and activism. It started with an introduction to the framework for NGOs working with UNESCO convention Intangi-ble Cultural Heritage framework provided by Latvian Academy of Culture researcher Anita Vaivade. Signe Pucena (SERDE) and Andrew Gryf Paterson presented intuitive artist/heri-tage-activist-led heritage including participatory/collaborative documentatations about Herbolo-gies, Kandža and Pig Funeral. Anna Karpenko, social scientist from Kaliningrad, shared with us the example of Соседи/Sąsiedzi/Kaimynai festival in Rominta forest, crossing-RU-PL-LT borders and ennobling local happiness. FiR artist Sylvia Grace Borda gave a whirlwind tour of her many projects which aim to add value and legacy to local economies and communities, including East Kilbride and Huntly in Scotland, as well as negotiating contemporary interventions of agriculture and animal husbandery onto GoogleStreetView in Canada and Finland. FiR resident artist Joanes Simon-Perret led us through his micro-garden allotments and multi-urban material weave instal-lations, towards a walk to Dzintra and Ilmars' beautiful allotment Eden, where we uprooted the beetroot plot, harvested the pig-beans, and enjoyed a feast of sour-leaf soup, smoked chicken and salads. Later into the evening we visited Arturs Lapka, Jānis Kreicburgs initiative in town to transform an industrial sour-cabbage factory into a social and project space.

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September 12Āboļošana (AppleThink) day, the art and craft market hosted by SERDE now for the 4th year, also included this year as part of Kultūras diena Aizputē (Aizpute Cultural Day).Although apples were the spark of inspiration, the backyard filled up with producers' tables and stalls, including: Free pancakes and fried-sugered apple by SERDE's Ance Ausmane and Ance Kvasnikova, a local piparkukas&pie table, plus a local wood-craft stall with toys and kitchen utensils, ceramics by Ieva Bertašiūtė-Grosbaha (iBerta), harvest-conservation demonstration by Una Smilgaine, Imants Lepsis's juices and antihelikon jam, Aizpute eco-winery (ekovins.lv) 's fruit wine-tasting table & apple-juicing machine, live singing by Atšaukas folklore group from Liepāja, aronia-berry shooting, a crazy professor act, demonstration of moonshine production, and T-shirt printing by youth house IDEJU MĀJA. Inside SERDE, a musical fairytale performance ("Rainis lielais bļāviens. Saules zaķēnu dejas!") by local children and adults took place. While after outside, SERDE's buildings were ceremonially added to the national heritage protection list (coincidently on Europe-an Heritage days 2015). FiR resident artist Anna Rubio Llambi made a creative-movement perfor-mance on/around, essentially in collaboration with the large tree that stands in the small park behind SERDE's workshop building, accompanied by piano improvisation from Rihards Plesanovs (She later explained her approach in presentation, showing other works). The festival-market atmo-sphere ended in the backyard with a 1-man/1-hour aronia mash-up in a barrel (functional dancing) to the sounds of tango-beats, blues and finally disco. Aizputes vīna darītava cellar under the town museum was the final stop for the FiR group, where Martins and Varis Sants offered further degus-tations and knowledge/experience sharing until darkness fell and animated chats bounced around louder and louder.

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ParticipantsSylvia Grace Borda (CAN/SCO)Anete Borodušķe (LV)Kristaps Brīze (LV)Jaana Eskola (HIAP, FI)Johanna Fredriksson (Mustarinda, FI)Gints Gabrāns (LV)Eli Garmendia (ES)Tina Gudmundsdottir (Skaftfell Residency Centre, E. Iceland)Anna Karpenko (RU)Maria Kerin (IE)Jānis Liepiņš (LV)Pauliina Leikas (Mustarinda, FI)Jenni Nurmenniemi (HIAP, FI)Ieva Ozolina (LV)Andrew Gryf Paterson (FI/SCO)Anna Rubio Llambi (CAT)Nuno Sacramento (SSW/SCO)Joanes Simon Perret (FR)Una Smilgaine (LV)Rasa Šmite (LV)Anita Vaivade (LV)Bart Vandeput/Bartaku (BE)

SERDE - Ugis Pucens, Signe Pucena, Ance Ausmane, Ingus Briedis, Didzis Golubovs, AnceKvasnikova, Dzintra Vēvere

Collaborators: Paula Aboliņa-Ābola, Toms Pirtnieks, Ilze Elbere, Mārtiņš Sants, Varis Sants, Artūrs Lapka, Jānis Kreicburgs, Laima Alundere, Armands Ausmanis, Imants Lepsis, Rihards Plešanovs, Agnese Egliņa

Art Research Laboratory students of Liepaja University - Dāvids Gžibovskis, Kintija Simute, Kārlis Volkovskis, Gunta Dombrovska, Artūrs Kalvāns, Uldis Hasners, Maija Barbare, Marta Matuzeviča, Samanta Kalēja, Casper Gualgaard, Pauls Kūlis, Māra Vulfa, Linda Strauta, Dana Rasnača, Annija Gancone, Kristaps Strungs.

Supported by:

Residencies and Incubator programme in Latvia is organised byInterdisciplinary Art Group SERDE

serde.lvfacebook.com/SERDEvimeo.com/smgserdeissuu.com/smg.serde

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Artist texts: Anna Rubio, Bartaku, Gints Gabrāns, Joanes Simon-PerretSERDE Incubator texts: Andrew Gryf PatersonFrontiers in Retreat project text: HIAPResidencies photos: Eli Garmendia, Signe Pucena, Ance Ausmane, Varis Sants,Joanes Simon-Perret, Kadri Toom, Bartaku.Design and layout: Ance Ausmane

SERDE: FRONTIERS IN RETREAT

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