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@harold297

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Three walks. Three layers.

01 · SITEwalk

SITE is where the journey begins: at the physical places where Aruba’s rock drawings can be found.

Walking there is more than a way of reaching a location. The heat, wind, dust, thorns and uneven rocks slow me down and make me aware of my own body in the landscape.

Standing before the drawings also means standing where others stood long before us. We do not know exactly what the drawings mean—and perhaps we should not try to explain everything. The encounter asks for presence, attention and humility.

The poem SITEwalk grew from this physical experience of walking, looking and being present. Written in Papiamento and English, it moves between then and there, between what was and who we are now.

e ta supla entre tempo conectando loke tabata cu kende nos ta awor

it blows between times connecting what was to who we are now

Back in the studio, these encounters continue in glass.

SITE is about presence.
This is the first of three posts exploring the layers of SITE – SIDE – SIGHT WALKS. Next: SIDEwalk.

SITE – SIDE – SIGHT WALKS National Archaeological Museum Aruba

#SiteSideSightWalks #Aruba #IndigenousRockDrawingsAruba #ArubaHeritage #ContemporaryArt taken in National Archaeological Museum Aruba by @harold297

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18 hours ago

Sharing knowledge, passing on heritage.

Archaeologist Harold J. Kelly shared his knowledge of Aruba’s Indigenous rock drawings with the Living Heritage participants. Speaking in Papiamento, he discussed who made them, where, how and for what purposes, explaining that their creation involved a science for which people were trained.

Participants listened with interest and asked questions. Learning from one another and carrying that knowledge into our own explorations and making—this is how we keep heritage alive.

In this short fragment, Harold explains an anthropomorphic—a human-like—figure.
Masha danki, Harold, for sharing your knowledge with us.

#LivingHeritageAruba #SiteSideSightWalks #IndigenousRockDrawingsAruba #Aruba #archeology taken in National Archaeological Museum Aruba by @harold297

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7 days ago

“I feel connected.”

These words from a participant capture something of our second Living Heritage gathering at the National Archaeological Museum Aruba.

Aruba’s rock drawings were our starting point. We looked closely at lines, shapes and repetition, distinguishing what we could observe from what we did not know about their original meaning.

Participants developed sketches and explored how those lines could take shape in glass. Working at the flame meant making connections, adjusting ideas and learning to follow the material.

Pausing to look at each other’s work became part of the research. Sharing observations opened up new perspectives and brought us closer together.

Each participant created a different glass piece. Together, the works reflect a shared exploration of heritage, material and personal expression.

What part of your heritage sparks your curiosity?

In collaboration with the National Archaeological Museum Aruba, with support from Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.

#LivingHeritageAruba #SiteSideSightWalks #IndigenousRockDrawingsAruba #ArubaHeritage #GlassArt by @harold297

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8 days ago

Not the same red.

Inside a cave at Canashito, drawings in red remain—traces older than memory. Outside, another red appears: recent, brighter and carrying a different intention.
During this third site visit with archaeologist Harold J. Kelly, the contrast stayed with me. It became the starting point for SIGHTwalk: a poem about the difference between a mark that carries knowledge and one that claims—and about weighing what we choose to leave behind.

SITE – SIDE – SIGHT WALKS Canashito, Aruba

#sitesidesightwalks
#indigenousrockdrawingsaruba
#arubaheritage
#contemporaryart
#aruba taken in Aruba by @harold297

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15 days ago

What has someone taught you that you’ve never forgotten?

This question opened our first Living Heritage gathering. A saying from a grandmother, a gesture, a story, a way of working or seeing the world: what do you carry with you that someone else passed on?

Around the table, participants wrote about what they had received and from whom. Then came the challenge: how could its essence become visible through a line, a shape, a movement or a rhythm?

These ideas became sketches. In the final exercise, the sketches — or interpretations of them — found a new form in glass.

From the words shared that day emerged reflections that resonate deeply with life on Aruba. Sharing them also gave us a way to get to know each other through the people and experiences that have shaped us.

This is part of our artistic research with Living Heritage: exploring how something passed on can take a new form through making.

What do you carry with you, and who gave it to you?

#LivingHeritage #ArtisticResearch #aruba #LivingCulture #makingtogether taken in National Archaeological Museum Aruba by @harold297

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22 days ago

Some places hold more than what we can see.

The walk takes us away from the path and into the cunucu. Between the rocks, a sheltered space appears. The Indigenous rock drawings are there, on the rock face.

The wind moves through the space, bringing cool air. I remember feeling protected there, connected to the people who once stood in this same place.

That experience stayed with me.
Later, back in the studio, the wind became part of the work.

SITE – SIDE – SIGHT WALKS Piedra Plat, Aruba

#sitesidesightwalks #indigenousrockdrawingsaruba #arubaheritage #contemporaryart #aruba taken in Aruba by @harold297

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24 days ago

#Inkfish #ArubaExpeition #underwaterarchaeology by @harold297

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a month ago

The first flame 🔥

Yesterday was the first working session of Living Heritage – Passing Knowledge in Aruba.

After meeting for the first time in June, we are now really getting started. The participants took their first steps in working with hot glass at the torch — learning how the glass moves, how gravity influences it, and how much focus and patience it requires. This first session was about learning, trying, making mistakes, trying again — and enjoying the process together.

Over the coming months, we will build on these skills while exploring Aruba’s cultural heritage and indigenous rock drawings, gradually briThe first flame 🔥

Yesterday was the first working session of Living Heritage – Passing Knowledge in Aruba.

After meeting for the first time in June, we are now really getting started. The participants took their first steps in working with hot glass at the torch — learning how the glass moves, how gravity influences it, and how much focus and patience it requires. This first session was about learning, trying, making mistakes, trying again — and enjoying the process together.

Over the coming months, we will build on these skills while exploring Aruba’s cultural heritage and indigenous rock drawings, gradually bringing glass, knowledge and personal stories together.

The first steps have been taken — and this is just the beginning.

In collaboration with the National Archaeological Museum Aruba, with support from Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.

#LivingHeritageAruba #SITESIDESIGHTWALKS #IndigenousRockDrawingsAruba #ArubaHeritage #glassart taken in Aruba by @harold297

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a month ago

Walking changes the way I encounter these places. The distance, the heat, the wind, the silence, they are all part of experiencing the Indigenous rock drawings in their landscape.

I walk to observe, to listen and to question.

What do these places carry and what do we choose to Carry forward?

SITE-SIDE-SIGHT WALKS
An ongoing artistic researchproject in Aruba, developed in collaboration with archaeologist Harold J. Kelly.

#sitesidesightwalks
#indigenousrockdrawingsaruba
#arubaHeritage
#contemporaryart
#aruba taken in Aruba by @harold297

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a month ago

Originating in what we now call the Pacific and nestling in what became the Caribbean...Aruba became an escapists icon during the tourism boom led by the one and only iconic attraction the Natural Bridge...or more accurately named Puente...
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Follow the magic stick 🪄
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Link in Bio @djispahari
#aruba #djispahari #beachlama297 #slynsnidetourguide #andicuri taken in Andicuri by @harold297

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2 months ago

Casibari is home to the creatively named Casibari rock formation…
A formation of rocks and wanton tourist trap consisting of diverse geological designs, made primarily from what type of rock, I don’t know cause that’s not why we are here in the first place…
We caught up with our friend archeologist Harold Kelly @harold297 to give us some insight into the Caquetio’s trade practices.
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Follow the magic stick…😎
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Full Clip: Link in Bio
#aruba #djispahari #slynsnidetourguide #beachlama297 #caquetio #wutangclan by @harold297

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2 months ago

Open Call: Ambassadors of Aruba’s Living Heritage

What if you could step into Aruba’s past—and respond to it in your own way?

We are inviting four young people (18–29) to join a unique 5-month journey where heritage, making, and reflection come together. You will explore Aruba’s indigenous rock drawings, work with glass, and develop your own artistic response—ending in a presentation at the National Archaeological Museum Aruba.

This is not just about learning a skill.
It’s about looking closely, asking questions, and helping carry knowledge forward into the community.

📅 September 2026 – January 2027
📩 Apply before May 15 via info@manaruba.org
🎥 Send a short video (max. 3 minutes) and a brief CV

A small personal contribution is requested. If this is a barrier, you’re encouraged to mention it in your application.

If you feel curious, or even slightly drawn to this—reach out. taken in National Archaeological Museum Aruba by @harold297

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5 months ago