Visitors to The Belize Collection know that every resort in the collection features an array of unique art pieces curated over the years. The Belize Collection views the appreciation of art as essential to achieving the level of comfort and pleasure we strive to achieve in all we do. That’s why we’re particularly excited about our newest project taking place right now on the grounds at The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant which looks to take art out of the gallery and thrust them into the wild.
Over the past two months, four artists have been working on three pieces that will be embedded into the very heart of The Rainforest Lodge grounds as an outdoor art installation. These artists, working with various materials including wire, wood, and cement, are using the opportunity to explore Belize’s ecological and cultural history. Their works clarify that humans have always been a part of the natural environment, a theme that has always been a major motivator for The Belize Collection’s efforts at reducing its environmental impact.
Lucia Meyer is working on a project that illustrates the life cycle of women at a scale that’s both immersive and intimate. Covered from head to toe in sawdust with a chainsaw at her feet, Meyer was unable to restrain a smile as she shared that sculpting the hardwood has worn out four chainsaw chains.
Meanwhile at a secluded part of the grounds at the base of the mountain featuring the gazebo lookout point, the team of Marcelo Patiño and Gabriella Giusti are working on a project that harkens to one of the central stories of the Lodge and to Belize’s Mayan cultural legacy. They’ve been working with a small team of Belizeans from the local community, and view the project in terms of not only the piece they’re creating but the collaboration and apprenticeship they’re able to offer to local residents. Lastly, near the new Sleeping Giant residencies, Diego Haretche is hard at work on a massive installation inspired by one of Belize’s most photographed animals and children’s literature classic The Little Prince. Shirtless, energetic and beaming with excitement, Haretche’s piece is unlike any artwork seen in Belize before, akin to the work of large abstract pieces like George Rickey’s Three Squares.
Residing at The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant for the duration of their residency, these artists have been motivated by the rich rainforest environments of Belize, noting the abundance of life even near the Lodge as an ongoing inspiration. Working on art that will exist in nature rather than a more controlled environment has come with plenty of obstacles. Rather than be dispirited by those obstacles though, the artists have found clever ways to work with the land in shaping the project rather than impose a predetermined idea of how they should function. As project coordinator Evelin remarks “When you think of making a sculpture in the jungle, you think it’s gonna be great, but there’s so much that can go wrong.”
In the midst of those things that did go wrong, however, much has gone right, and soon these art pieces will be ready for public viewing by visitors to The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant. However, these won’t simply be indicated on a map somewhere. They’ll be left unmarked for you to stumble across in your exploration of the grounds to reward the curious and adventurous.
The possibilities of outdoor art installations are truly rich as anyone familiar with Belize’s Poustinia Land Art project would know, and The Belize Collection is excited to see this project expand further in the future, including an open call for Belizean and international artists to add their work to the collection. The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant’s installation officially launches on August 3. Book a room now to be there for the unveiling and gain a new perspective on the nature of humanity.
