Territorial War
Having cleared a location for the sculpture and already poured drainage stone foundations, I have come up against a dilemma- there are ants nesting right in the centre of the piece. Engin Bay comments ‘there is no ground here without ants’. It seems I have underestimated them; there could be thousands underground. I research deterrants including sound, scent and try cinnamon which seems to create an instant no-go zone for them.
(*update Oct) After careful deliberation I decided to continue building on the same site in the hope that the ants would relocate. At first, the ants retreated underground and seemed to go silent after the cinnamon was spread- only to eventually reappear and continue entering underground from the front corner of the sculpture. How they found their way back to their nest in the centre undergound, I don’t know - they must have their own kind of super advanced gps navigation.
Thurs 4 Sep 2025
Erra Art Farm