It was wonderful to continue our margin-to-margin collaboration with Bridge to Nowhere Arts Association in Port Pirie, Australia. Researcher and artist Melanie Sarantou initiated this contact some time back through workshops and discussions about the dreams and future orientation that the Bridge to Nowhere Artists were thinking about. This took place through face-to-face meetings and Facebook threads, continuing into workshops centered around mandalas of life woven into an old gate that received a second life through international artists’ collaboration. The Artists Association had prepared natural and textile materials that could be woven into the gate. Melanie, Sherrie Jones, and I collaborated on the gate project with the association. Our collaboration with Sherrie had started already way back in Fowlers Bay and in the Helinä museum with workshops and exhibitions. We worked for three days on the gate, starting with creating a mandala from natural materials around a nearby dam. The idea was to think about one’s lifecycle and create this in the shape of a mandala, as an ephemeral installation that could simply vanish over time and natural conditions. In the following days, the mandalas continued to take shape, being woven and attached to the gate, which was made with recycled and textile materials. The finished gate was set up in the community for the following six weeks. Mandalas are about weaving repeating balanced patterns in harmony. By letting the mind be at peace and focusing on the craft and handiwork in rhythm, it created a great place to welcome each other’s small stories and foster friendship. The process of weaving together, sharing stories, and working with collaborative creativity was an amazing experience with Bridge to Nowhere Arts. Thank you to all the local artists for their collaboration.





