By the bathing lake at the festival’s campsite, three large goat horns rise with ribbons tied around them. The horns form a space where you can pause and ask yourself: who becomes the scapegoats of society — and why?
In artist Noah Holtegaard’s installation I Never Meant to Hurt Anyone, you step into a story about how guilt is assigned and negotiated. The ribbons wrapped around the horns are half red and half white, pointing to an old belief that sins can be transferred and forgiven. At the same time, the colours create an ambiguity — red and white exist side by side, making it unclear whether the guilt has been lifted or still lingers.
The sculpture draws on stories of goats as carriers of human sin. In one story from the Old Testament, a goat is burdened with the sins of the community and sacrificed. In another, a red ribbon is tied to the horn, which, according to tradition, turns white when the sins are forgiven.
During First Days, performances will take place around the artwork in collaboration with the Center for Art and Mental Health.
Noah Holtegaard is a non-binary, transmasculine artist who primarily works digitally, using image manipulation, digital weaving, CNC cutting and animation. His work often explores queerness and minority experiences through historical research. Noah seeks to give a voice to those who have been excluded from the conversation and to shed new light on our shared history.