Yale College Wicker Homes Art Installation Project

Art students at Yale College battled against the elements on the beach at Black Rock Sands as part of a spectacular art installation they had created.

Using two wicker houses that were constructed in Yale, the students transported and staged their work on the beach.

In preparation for the trip, students had explored the plight of people across the globe whose homes are threatened by rising sea levels, due to climate change as well as the flooding  of the Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn and the Tryweryn valley in 1965 to create Llyn Celyn, a reservoir formed to supply water for Liverpool.  Examining causes of homelessness the students participated in a debate over the issues.

Historical and Contextual Studies Co-ordinator, Julia Strong said: “Experiencing the acute elements offered students a comparable snippet of the plight of less fortunate individuals”. 

A beach barbeque made the day particularly memorable, offering healthy food options created by art students themselves in collaboration with the catering department of the college.

As the sun set and an eerie light settled across the waters, students linked hands and attached LED lights to the remains of the houses they had built and then seen destroyed by the forces of nature, as a final note of remembrance for those who have been made homeless across the planet.

The fall of night brought down the curtain on the closing act of the theme of ‘Home/Cartref’, which has provided an inspiring focus for practical and written work at Yale College this academic year.