Falling as one         (2024)


Sculptures in rammed earth, sourced from the soccer field behind Risingskolen 
Railing in stainless steel, made in collaboration with Steeltec Odense


Photos by Brian Kure
and Mia Carl 


www.miacarl.com
Mia Carl’s installation is located in a disused, recessed space at the back of Risingskolen’s yard. At first sight, the two-meter-deep space has no obvious purpose or access route, exuding unique and mysterious qualities. Originally used to store charcoal for heating the school, the pit is now a temporary graveyard for lost footballs, candy wrappers, and weeds.

Falling as One is composed of two main elements. The first is a steel railing which imitates the sinuous curves of an energy flow chart and replaces the existing temporary wooden fence, adding a new sense of permanence to the space.  The second element consists of four rammed earth sculptures placed at the bottom of the space. All in the shape of semi-circles, three of them sit tightly against the wall, while the last one appears to have come loose, jutting out at an angle. Over time, these earthy structures will collapse and sprout new life, with weeds emanating from the roots and seeds that currently lie dormant in the soil.

The work expresses Carl’s interest in the cyclic movement of bodies, minds, and plants. It is inspired by a reverent sense of the constant alternation of the forces of regeneration and destruction that make up the energetic flows that surround us. The piece is a spatial reflection contemplating the multiple ways we are contributing to the planet's life cycle, all forever growing and dying, while at the same time pointing at the contrasting, impossible ideal of constant growth.

Text by Jes Fernie