7th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art,
2014

The 7th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art was an international coalescence of cultures and artists engaging in contemporary cast iron art. The focus of the conference on the aesthetic application of iron casting to forms, ritual and landscape, through exhibition, performance and land-based sculpture, resonating with current directions in contemporary art. Siting the conference in Latvia, a country renowned for its visual and folk design, will augment the profile of the conference internationally and enhance Latvia’s year of celebration as the European Union Capital of Culture for 2014.

The timing of the conference coincided with the national Latvian celebration of the Summer Solstice and elevated the relevance of performance in the practice of contemporary cast iron art and contribute to the rich tradition of ritual practiced at the Pedvale Open-Air Art Museum during Jāņi. The location of the conference integrated forms, rituals and processes of contemporary sculptural iron casting within the landscape of Pedvale, contributing to the current discourse on site and land-based art forms within contemporary art.  

Master and Acolyte (Meitheamah)
The lever (acolyte) is a means to share knowledge symbolized by the iron. It is the go between from the furnace (master/ source) to the mold (relic). It serves as a metaphor to celebrate the sharing of knowledge that is prevalent in the cast iron subculture (Ferrous Communitas).