An artist from California is in Barga this week as part of the ever growing group of participating artists in the Cultural Geocaching project.
The second cache has already been hidden in and around Barga and the first one has already been visited by a number of visitors to the city. Shortly, the rest of the original 20 geocaches containing original art works will be put “out into the wild”
Linda came into the barganews office this afternoon to speak with us briefly about her participation in the event and just what it was that made her decide to join in.
Of the original 12 artists pencilled for the event, the list has now grown to 37 and more are applying all the time.
Look out world, the Cultural Geocaching Project is just about to take over.
GEOCACHING is an outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, anywhere in the world.
A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook where the geocacher enters the date they found it and signs it with their established code name. After signing into the log, the cache must be placed back exactly where the person found it. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers (Tupperware or similar) or ammunition boxes can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value.
The cultural geocaches of Barga are somewhat different as they in fact do contain objects of value.
The caches contain signed original artworks, drawings, charcoal drawings, prints and etchings by 35 artists working in this area.
There are also mini poems and short stories in Italian and Latin
Professional musicians have prepared a series of cards containing QR codes which when scanned by smart phones will play music specially written for the project. The music includes classic, jazz, piano, tango, rock and folk.
The project is an attempt to “raise the bar” on the level of objects which can be found and exchanged in geocaches.
We hope that the people who find these objects will enjoy them as much as we have in preparing them. (the map for the first and second cultural geocaches can be found here)
Andee Sorenson on facebook
It took me awhile to share about this alluring activity taking place in little town I once lived in Tuscany. This “geocaching” thing was new to me so I had to go get a grip on it. The site linked here is really informative. And now that i have the definition of geocaching handy, it seems funny yet fitting, that in a place where cultural treasures make the physical structure of the environment, locals are having fun planting yet another layer of “hidden treasures” to be discovered, mapped, etc…
Perhaps this modern sprinkling of cultural cache will spark a hunt for the wealth of knowledge and tradition and human spirit that is accessible in Barga and other culturally rich communities in this very green and lush Tuscan valley.
I, for one, am hopeful that this new layering is a sign of human and cultural flourishing in Barga. These places, like many places, will benefit our collective consciousness if they continue to vibrate with local music, art, festivities and food.