Invitation to Explore Weeds Permanence
Date: April, 9th 2026 Time: 11am – 1pm
Where: Relief Map of Wales at Llyn Alaw
How to get there: LL65 4TW – detailed visual directions on request. Lifts will be arranged from Bangor and Menai Bridge.
In 1987, Welsh artist Paul Davies (Beca) instigated the collaborative created of a „semi-permanent” Relief Map of Wales made of locally resourced rocks and soil at the shores of Llyn Alaw (Ynys Môn). In summer 1988 it was officially opened. 49 years later, the shore-site at Llyn Alaw has transformed and now is made home by Trees, Blackthorne, Gorse, Ivy, Farns, Mosses and many of our weedy kins.
The Relief Map of Wales sculpture indeed seemed to have turned out to be “semi-permanent:” It looks like it did not remain unchanged.
Or did it?
What is semi-permanence, what is semi-permanent, particularly when referring to a sculpture set amidst a biotope as Llyn Alaw?
Does language and its etymology help us to understand what semi-permanence might mean and how we can relate to a semi-permanent Relief Map of Wales?
And does the term even discriminate against all the busy multi-species artists shaping and reshaping the Relief Map of Wales for almost 50 springs, 50 summers, winters and autumns?
Is there a level of hidden violence in our understandings and applications of permanence and semi-permanence?
I would like to invite Utopias Bach Weeds School to explore these questions through a scored visit to the site.
Interested but not sure what to expect? Here is what might be happening (subject to change):
11am: Arrival at the site, welcome and introduction at top level of the site.
11:15am: Invitations // scores distributed to guide your encounter and exploration with the site and its permanence/semi-permanence. (Invitation no obligation, you can bring your own scores).
11:30-12:15: Encountering and exploring.
12:15-12:45: Sharing
12:45: What’s next?
Visit to the site is open ended, so you can bring your lunch or a book and spend further time at the site.
Interested? What to bring? Wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Bring your own water and food if needed. Bring something to take notes, recordings – or other forms of documenting your exploration. Bring exploration tools: binocular, magnifier, graphic aids (for birds, mosses), pruner, saw, or any other tool (but anything motorist) you feel might help you in your exploration.
Accessibility of the site: Unfortunately, Welsh Water closed the Visitor Centre decades ago, and the site is not accessible. There are two barriers to cross or subvert or circumvent to access the reservoir and further natural barriers (roots sticking from the ground, thorny plants, mud) to attend to when entering the Relief Map of Wales. There are not toilets or benches but some rocks that can offer seating.
Further Information on Paul Davies’ Relief Map of Wales: https://map-of-wales.jimdosite.com/relief-map-of-wales/
Etymology
Permanent "enduring, unchanging, unchanged, lasting or intended to last indefinitely," early 15c., from Old French permanent, parmanent (14c.) or directly from Latin permanentem (nominative permanens) "remaining," present participle of permanere "endure, hold out, continue, stay to the end," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + manere "stay" (from PIE root *men- (3) "to remain").
Semi word-forming element of Latin origin meaning "half," also loosely, "part, partly; partial, almost; imperfect; twice," from Latin semi- "half" (before vowels often sem-, sometimes further reduced to se- before m-), from PIE *semi- "half" (source also of Sanskrit sami "half," Greek hēmi- "half," Old English sam-, Gothic sami- "half").
The Old English cognate, sam-, was used in such compounds as samhal "in poor health, weakly," literally "half-whole;" samsoden "half-cooked" ('half-sodden'), figuratively "stupid" (compare half-baked); samcucu "half-dead," etymologically "half-alive" (see quick (adj.)); and the lingering survivor, sandblind "dim-sighted" (q.v.).
The Latin element was common in formations from Late Latin, as in semi-gravis "half-drunk," semi-hora "half hour," semi-mortuus "half-dead," semi-nudus "half-naked," semi-vir "half-man, hermaphrodite." The Latin-derived form in English has been active in forming native words since 15c. Semi-bousi "half-drunk" ('semi-boozy'), now obsolete, was among the earliest (c. 1400). As a noun, semi has variously been short for semi-detached house (by 1912), semi-trailer (by 1942), semi-final (by 1942).