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Searching For The Molendinar - Unearthing Glasgow's Hidden Past

The Molendinar Project set out to investigate the disappearance of a stream at the heart of Glasgow’s medieval past. This chapter explores the relationship between city and stream, with shifting attitudes to water over time and asks what it means when a stream so central to a city’s history becomes almost entirely culverted. In 2001 I was invited to develop a project on the theme of water for an exhibition and conference. The focus of the group exhibition was the meeting point of art and ecology seen through the lens of water. What followed was a reflection, not from the expert position of historian, geographer, sociologist or ecologist, but that of an artist working between these disciplines. By locating maps and images of the Molendinar a visual picture of Glasgow was constructed over time, from rural retreat to urban sprawl. This led to site visits and walks, re- mapping the course of the burn, and occasionally catching glimpses of the hidden stream. I sought a range of views from local residents, the Glasgow Humane Society, the National Geological Survey, Glasgow City Council (GCC), the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water (SW). These interviews attempted to uncover the social, economic and environmental impact of the stream’s historical shift. Video documentation, contextualized by other documents including photographs and maps later formed part of the installation at Mile End Gallery. (Crossovers Exhibition at Art Pavilion, Mile End, London. Watershed: Environmental Art, Engendering a Community of Change Conference at Whitechapel Art Gallery 11/10/03).