DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Workshop by Nina Shen-Poblete & Grga Basic
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DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Workshop by Nina Shen-Poblete & Grga Basic
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‘Event City’ International Summer School by Riga Technical University Cesis, Latvia 27 July - 11 August 2012
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he workshop, ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’, is inspired by the story of a local man in Cesis, who raised his pet rabbit on Pioneer Square, in order to slaughter it and eat it. Using the device of story-telling, the workshop sets out to explore the conditions of Cesis, a city with a shrinking population, and to make speculations on an urban landscape belonging to a not so distant future, where rabbits and men fought for territories. The outcomes of the workshop - an illustrated storybook of the ‘bunny city’ crisis and an installation of a feast table / rabbit killing machine on Pioneer Square, offer possibilites for new narratives to emerge from the process of collective design and making based on a critical analysis of this local social condition. New meanings were brought to light - first, the fragility of human condions in the persistant conflicts between manmade environments and nature; and second, the celebration of community and solidarity, represented by the ritual of the rabbit feast, an event that sustains continuity between the past, the present and the future.
Radošā darbnīca, “Lejup pa truša alu”, ir iedvesmojusies no stāsta par kādu vietējo Cēsu iedzīvotāju, kurš audzina savu trusi Pionieru laukumā, lai vēlāk to nogalinātu un apēstu. Ar stāstījuma palīdzību tiek pētīts Cēsu pilsētas pašreizējais stāvoklis – pilsēta ar sarūkošu iedzīvotāju skaitu un veiktas spekulācijas ar urbāno ainavu saistībā ar nemaz ne tik tālo nākotni, kur truši un cilvēki cīnās par teritoriju.Instalācija ‘Dzīru galds / nogalināšanas ierīce’ Pionieru laukumā parāda cilvēka stāvokļa trauslumu un paspilgtina konfliktu starp dabu un cilvēka radīto vidi.Tajā pašā laikā stāsta morāle cildina cilvēku solidaritātes un kopības svarīgumu, kas tiek attēlots ar trušu mielasta rituālu - notikumu, kurš stiprina nepārtrauktības sajūtu starp pagātni, tagadni un nākotni.
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Chapter I
Man with a rabbit on Pioneer Square, where it all begins ...
Chapter II
Rabbit invasion and the struggle between rabbits and men ...
Chapter III
Feast table with rabbit killing machine ...
Chapter IV
Design & construction of the installation
Essay ‘Inbetween Realities: A pedagogical journey into the unknown’ Nina Shen-Poblete Appendices
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Team Rabbit Terminators & Acknowledgement
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Chapter I
Man with a rabbit on Pioneer Square - the story begins here ... Vīrs ar trusi Pionieru laukumā – vietā, kur viss sākas ...
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here was a man in Cesis.
His only companion, a pet rabbit, was later to also become his food. During the day, he walked his rabbit on a leash to Pioneer Square, where he met with and drank cheap beer with other folks who also brought their pets. The rabbit was left to roam freely across the urban wasteland, grazing the grass and keeping the soil fertile with the deposits it left behind. Over time, the grass grew, and so did the rabbit. At the very beginning, the rabbit was closely guarded, as the man was looking forward to a rabbit feast once it reached maturity. But as time passed the man’s drinking habit intensified, and he gradually lost control over his life. After a period of time, perhaps half a year, when the rabbit was about to be slaughtered, the man suddenly disappeared.
Cēsīs dzīvoja kāds vīrs. Viņa vienīgais biedrs – trusis – bija arī viņa ēdiens. Pa dienu viņš izveda savu trusi pastaigāties saitītē pa Pionieru laukumu, kurš viņš satika savus draugus un dzēra lētu alu. Trusis tika atstāts brīvi klejojot pa pilsētas novārtā pamesto zemi, tas ēda zāli un aiz sevis atstāja auglīgu augsni. Ejot laikam, auga gan zāle, gan trusis. Pašā sākumā trusis tika rūpīgi uzmanīts, jo vīrs gribēja to nogalināt, tiklīdz tas sasniegs briedumu.Taču vīra dzeršana tikai pastiprinājās, līdz viņš vairs nespēja kontrolēt savu dzīvi. Neilgi pēc tam, kad trusis bija sasniedzis 6 mēnešus un būtu jānogalina, vīrs pazuda.
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Pioneer Square Cesis, August 2012
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Chapter II
The rabbit invasion and the struggle between rabbits and men ... Trušu invāzija sākas..
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he rabbit escaped onto Pioneer Square and from there, it found other rabbits, as well as an ideal environment for building its home – The Warren System. Trusis aizbēga uz Pionieru laukumu, kur vide bija ideāla, lai šeit būvētu savu māju – alu sistēmu.
The rabbits created the warren system for shelter from the elements and protection from their predators. It was designed to provide a place where they could raise their families. There were burrows for sleeping and burrows for the babies. Each burrow could be 30-60 cm high, filled with dry plant materials, fur and debris. The ‘baby nurseries’ weren’t linked to the narrow tunnel system, and this strategic placement enabled the mother to defend her babies. One warren system could be up to 45 meters long and 3 meters deep, and there were multiple entrances for defence and escape.
Alas trušiem kalpo kā patvērums, lai aizsargātos no plēsoņām un vairotos. Šīs ir alas gulēšanai un alas mazuļiem. Katra ala var būt 3060 cm augsta, pildīta ar sausiem augiem, vilnu un šķembām. ‘Bērnistabas’nav savienotas ar šauro tuneļu sistēmu, tādējādi palīdzot mātēm aizsargāt savus mazuļus. Viena alu sistēma var būt līdz pat 45 metrus gara un 3 metrus dziļa un tai ir vairākas ieejas – aizsardzībai un izbēgšanai.
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he rabbit is a survivor. In Latvia, its main predators were humans, cats and foxes. Cesis was a shrinking town in the northeastern region of Latvia, and its population had been falling. With fewer predators, the rabbits’ reproduction became more vigorous, and their population multiplied rapidly. Starting from the warren system as a single family unit, the rabbits’ colonies began to spread from the Pioneer Square, to search for new territories in nearby gardens, green parks, as well as empty buildings.
Trusis ir izdzīvotājs nevis uzbrucējs, tā galvenie ienaidnieki Latvijā ir cilvēki, kaķi un lapsas. Cēsis ir sarūkoša pilsēta, kas atrodas Latvijas ZA reģionā. Tās iedzīvotāju skaits krītas ļoti strauji. Taču, ja trušiem ir maz ienaidnieku, trušu vairošanās kļūst arvien sparīgāka un to populācija pieaug neiedomājami ātri. Viena alu sistēma ir mājvieta vienai ģimenei. Trušu kolonijas sāk izplatīties – tās pārņem tuvumā esošos dārzus, krūmājus un pat tukšās ēkas.
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Pionner Square August 2012 ...
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t the beginning, their activities were invisible to humans. The rabbits lived in underground warren caves, and they liked environments where there were an abundance of grass and vegetations suited to their diets. Sākumā viņu darbības ir neredzamas cilvēkam. Truši dzīvo pazemes alu labirintos – apkārtnē, kurā ir piemērota zāle un pārējā veģetācija.
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Pionner Square October 2012 ...
Rabbits looked for shelter from bushy field borders, fence lines, tall grass and weeds.
Overtime, traces of rabbits’ activities became more visible. The rabbits fed on urban greenery, their survival instincts drove them to attack the trees. Pēc kāda laika trušu kustību pēdas kļūst redzamākas.Truši barojas ar pilsētas zaļumiem un izdzīvošanas instinkti liek ēst kokus, tādējādi bieži vien tos nonāvējot.
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A rabbit could mow up to 2 m2 in 8 hours. 29
Pionner Square June 2013 ...
Soil erosion from grazing and digging can cause contamination to water supplies to the city.
Rabbits are driven by their instincts to kill trees by attacking their roots in order to maintain their habitat. They can reduce the stems to a sharp edge.
Rabbits like the soft fibrous tissues of the tree barks. Debarking can take place from as low as 30 mm above the ground level up to 540 mm in height.
Rabbits often strip all they can off a tree. They prefer willows, poplars, apple, young maple and ash.
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Pionner Square August 2014 ...
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fter the greenery had been destroyed, the rabbits began to attack building foundations and timber structures, sometimes causing entire buildings to collapse and fall into ruins. Sensing their city in danger of collapsing under the seisure of rabbits, the few remaining residents began to unite and fight back, and Cesis became a battle ground between men and rabbits.
Truši kļūst par draudu cilvēku eksistencei - iedzīvotāji, atgriežoties Cēsīs, atrod savas mājas iznīcinātas un trušu baru pārņemtas. Viņi sāk cīnīties pretī un Cēsis kļūst par cīņas vietu starp cilvēkiem un trušiem.
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o formulate battle strategies, humans needed to learn from the behaviours of their enemies. For example, rabbits’ eye sight was at optimum focus under low light conditions, both at dawn and dusk.
Rabbit Vision
Human Vision
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Lai uzvarētu cīņā, cilvēkiem jāiemācās sava ienaidnieka uzvedība. Piemēram, trušu redze ir visskaidrākā vājā apgaismojumā rītausmā un krēslā.
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Rabbits were colour blind, and their colour senses only register the colour green. Truši neredz krāsas un spēj atpazīt vienīgi zaļo krāsu.
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Rabbit’s view of Pioneer Square
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he rabbit’s field of vision is 3500, which enables them to see approaching predators from every direction. But they have a blind spot located at front of their noses. They had reduced depth of perception as well as a limited degree of close-up vision. Hence they need to hop up and down in order to focus their visions. Their eyes were designed to see moving objects in the distance.
Blind Spot 3D View 2D View
Truša redzamības lauks ir 350 0, tāpēc tas redz tuvojošos ienaidniekus no visām pusēm izņemot aklo punktu sava deguna priekšā. Tiem ir samazināta dziļuma uztvere, kā arī ierobežota tuvplāna redze. Tādēļ trušiem jālec augšā un lejā, lai fokusētu savu skatienu. Viņu acis ir veidotas tā, lai viņi pamanītu kustīgus objektus jau no tālienes.
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ire is an important tool for fighting rabbits and strengthening human gatherings. The ashes left on the ground marks men’s struggle against the rabbits ... Various structures of burning devices were explored.
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Rabbit killing became both a ritual, and a form of public spectacle. Numerous rabbit killing methods had been investigated, from industrial killing techniques to rabbit tortures ...
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Chapter III
Feast Table with Rabbit Killing machine ...
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ear 2014,
the population of rabbits versus the residents of Cesis reached a tipping point. A continual territorial struggle between the residents and rabbits began. As a consequence, rabbit feasting became an annual ritual. The event lasts for a week in the winter months between October and January, and the process mobilises the entire population of the city. The city of Cesis was turned into a rabbit trap: the city’s clock tower was transformed into a horn-like intrument that blasted out a constant humming noise which desensitised rabbits’ hearing. The lower part of the building walls (up to 1 m high) were painted in green to de-orientate the rabbits and camouflaged the traps. Thus the architecture of the city was united by a band of green colour. The residents brough their hunted rabbits to Pioneer Square as trophies of war. The rabbits were killed, their paws chopped and collected in a tower, which acted as a counting machine that regularly announced the population count of the rabbits. The heros were crowned with necklaces made out of delicate rabbit bones. Rabbit blood was collected in a fountain on Rose Square, sending clouds of pink fumes, and the smell saturated the city and lingered for months afterwards. The triumph of men over the rabbit was celebrated in the final feast, where all the citizens sat together around a table to enjoy a slowly cooked rabbit stew. The fire of cooking was alight for months and the cooking was non-stop for a whole week. After dinning, the people danced. At the center of the discoteques and looming above the euphoric crowd hung the glitter balls which were once instruments of rabbits tortures. For the installation only a small feast table / rabbit killing machine was realised in built form, providing a fragment of the experience in this enormous event. The site of the feast table/rabbit killing machine was on the western plateau of the Pioneer Square. It is discreetly placed on a patch of green land, away from the beaten track and above rabbit’s favourite food sources: vegetations and trees. The table is orientated to afford a good vista high above the ground when eating. 44
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The feast table was raised 2400mm above ground. In the middle of the table was a rabbit killing trap, which could be released when a rabbit approached its bait - a bush of succulent carrots. The outer ‘ring of fire’ created a wall of defence from the rabbit invasion, and provided the source of fire for cooking the rabbit stew.
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Chapter IV
Design & Construction of the Feast Table & Rabbit Killing Machine
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Design Sketching
The function and the form of the table emerged from the narrative of the feast ritual. The ideas were contested when real constraints of construction and materiality were brought into the design process. Focusing on the idea of a feast table / rabbit killing machines, the team put their heads together, sketched out and debated all the ideas, with speculations of possible construction techniques. 52
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Design Sketching
We wanted to use locally sourced materials, and timber fence posts became the main construction material available to us. There were over 1300 posts and each measured 80 mm in diameter, and 2400mm in length. The design decisions began to concretise when material conditions became a main part of the discussions, and sketches quickly developed into more detailed drawings exploring construction techniques and methods of detailing.
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Workshop Production
The entire construction was completed manually, from tranportation of materials, to tooling, assembly and erection. The timber posts were carried on our shoulders from the site to the timber workshop. Each post was first cut into sections of irregular lengths, then sharpened to a fine edge. After being sanded, 12mm diameter holes drilled were driven into the posts from two different directions to produce the 300 components which make up the table. The offsite production of the components allowed us to achieve a level of precision required in the assembly, but without proper vehicles, the issue of transporting the table from the workshop to the site became our first technical challenge. The 300 components were connected by a web of 8mm threaded metal bars running in 2 directions. This determined a fixed assembly sequence. The weight of the overall table was a main concern. It didn’t stop raining in Cesis during that week, so we were very apprehensive about working on site, as the timber would soak up water and double in weight. Finally we decied to assemble the table and trasnport them in segments. I.e, the central killing device was assembled first in the workshop, and the then rest of the tables were assembled in longitudinal rows. 56
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OnSite Assembly & Lifting
The table was transported onto site in segments, as single rows of timber posts pre-stressed by threaded steel bars in the long direction. Working a few hours at a time and only in dry weather, the segments were tied together in the opposite direction with threaded steel bars stressed at regular intervals (every 3 posts). 58
Another challenge we encoutered on site was the lifting of the table. The initially idea was to lift the assembled table directly onto the foundation posts, which are secured in the ground. But this proved to be difficult to achieve in the absence of a crane, so the table had to be tilted into the holes. The foundation posts had to be attached to the legs prior to lifting of the table in place.
The tilting of the table was a ritual in itself involving more than 20 people, using thick ropes. The table legs had to be temporarily braced prior to lifting.
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Final Installation
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The Rabbit Terminators
Martin Abbott Mirjam Herald Jaanus Kaasik Anna Korcz Ulrike Kuhnert Nancy Mass Sophia Muller Sini Parikka Suvi Saatamoinen Robert Maximillian Sand
Nina Shen-Poblete Grga Basic
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