NIEU-BETHESDA NEWS — ‘Bloch’ is a multidisciplinary art project created by Swiss artist duo Com&Com in 2011.

In Switzerland, a bloch is the lowest branchless trunk of the last tree felled for the season, which is then auctioned to the highest bidder who uses the wood for shingles or furniture. Traditionally the bloch is then moved by 20 men between villages using non mechanical methods.

Com&Com took this concept further and developed a collaborative project that seeks to combine contemporary art with traditional popular culture, and fosters dialogue between artists and people who share traditions and stories. Com&Com were the first people in history to win the auction for the bloch to be used for a different purpose.

Since 2011 the Bloch has travelled the world.

The aim by the end of 2017 is that it would have visited all of earth’s continents. The Bloch project has visited Berlin, Basel, Shangai and North Dakota, to name a few destinations. This weekend, Bethesda locals were intrigued at the sight of this huge tree trunk outside the Bethesda Art Centre. It is an honour for the centre to have been approached by the project to be a part of it.

A mini festival of lights was set up, and Etienne Swiers and Naasley Swiers added a carving of a mantis, a creature sacred to the San people, on behalf of the First People artists. Once again, Nieu-Bethesda is on the map of global projects that find their way to this village.

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