ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Amid a growing fight over the future of Asheville’s South Campus Woods, a group of local artists is taking an unconventional approach to protest by turning the forest into an interactive art exhibit.
The project is called Batland, a “living gallery” of handmade bats, maps, and riddles curated by local artist Spencer Beal and a group of 25 contributing creatives. Dozens of sculpted bats hang from trees along winding trails in the wooded area near the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Each bat corresponds to a unique symbol on a hand-drawn map, inviting visitors to explore, reflect, and reconsider what the forest means to the community.
“This is the most meaningful project I’ve ever gotten to do with my art,” Beal said…