New major artwork by renowned artist Conrad Shawcross launches in Ramsgate

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


New major artwork by renowned artist Conrad Shawcross launches in Ramsgate
Believed to be the largest scale artwork to have been commissioned by children, the sculptures are a culmination of Pioneering Places, an ambitious multi-year project happening across East Kent. Photo: John Sainsbury.



RAMSGATE.- As part of Pioneering Places East Kent - the largest of the national Great Place Schemes, supported by Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund - Conrad Shawcross debuted Beacons, a new artwork formed of sculptures commissioned by local primary school children in Ramsgate on the 30th September.

Believed to be the largest scale artwork to have been commissioned by children, the sculptures are a culmination of Pioneering Places, an ambitious multi-year project happening across East Kent, led by Creative Folkestone, to encourage people to get involved with cultural organisations and shape the place where they live. The sculptures have now been installed as part of Turner Contemporary’s 10th anniversary programme.

Since 2018, over 70 local children from Ramsgate Arts Primary School and St Laurence-inThanet Church of England Junior Academy have led this project in collaboration with Turner Contemporary. The 8-10 year olds commissioned critically acclaimed artist Conrad Shawcross to create the sculptures which have been installed on Ramsgate’s East Cliff in September and remain for a year.

The sculptures are formed of four impressive structures, each comprises a metal tripod supporting a coloured, perforated disc at the top. Responding to the themes identified by the children, play and playfulness, caring and modern machinery, Beacons also addresses notions of signalling and messages, with a concealed word hidden within the design, based on a coded alphabet devised by the children. The word HOME was chosen by the children to be the message that the beacons send out to sea. This follows the children’s work exploring Ramsgate’s maritime heritage and the history of its famous Royal Harbour - the only designated Royal Harbour in the UK, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this September. HOME represents what Ramsgate meant to the children and also provided a message of welcome and warmth to anyone arriving in the town by sea or land.

The sequence of structures are modular in design so that they can be placed on any seafront and incorporate a hand-driven mechanical system which turns the disks inviting interaction to animate the sails. The materials used reference those that can be found in the surrounding area of the Royal Harbour, such as the steel used in shipbuilding, as well as hard wearing materials like powder-coated and galvanised steel.

Conrad Shawcross says: “It was so rewarding to work with the children of Ramsgate on this unique child-led initiative, the project has been an odyssey in itself and I cannot wait for both the children and the town to finally see these pieces up!

“We set ourselves the challenge of trying to make the most visually arresting coded system – adopting navigational languages of the past namely semaphore and exploring moray patterns and how they work. The children and I embraced scale, colour and movement to create a series of mechanical devices that send a message of hope and welcome as far as possible out into the sea.”

The group very much enjoyed discussing Homer’s Odyssey and other myths. Excitement was sparked around the voyages of discovery, being lost and how to find your way home.

Conrad has completed a number of major public commissions across the world and is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts. In 2011 Conrad was one of the first artists to be shown at Turner Contemporary as part of its inaugural exhibition. He comments: “This exhibition was a wonderful moment for me and I loved responding to the restrained rooms created by David Chipperfield. My show then, entitled three projections of a perfect third was a breakthrough exhibition for me. I reel when I think how much the world and our collective reality has changed in the last ten years.”

In addition to working with Shawcross, the children have also collaborated with Turner Prize winning collective Assemble who were commissioned to create a toolkit which aims to inform planners, decision makers and those in the education and creative sectors about how children can positively contribute to place making.










Today's News

October 1, 2021

Symbolism Represented in Antique Caucasian Rugs (Part 3)

The Cleveland Museum of Art announces new acquisitions

Met Museum to return ancient sculpture to Nepal

Hindman sets new world auction record for Martin Wong work, selling for $1.1 million

Yale says its Vinland Map, once called a Medieval treasure, is fake

Auction Technology Group to complete acquisition of LiveAuctioneers

Amicable solution for restitution claim: Ketterer Kunst to offer Emil Nolde painting with notable provenance

Elvis vs. Lenin: A superpower confrontation on canvas

Christie's Classic Week features 5 live and 3 online auctions

New major artwork by renowned artist Conrad Shawcross launches in Ramsgate

Minnesota Street Project announces arts leader, Madison Cario as CEO

Milestone's Oct. 2 Toy Spectacular a feast of European & American antique toys

Phoenix Art Museum receives $4 million grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

Thought-provoking installation unveiled at City Hall, Jersey City

Review: A choreographer stakes an independent claim

Review: Bill T. Jones' oceanic vision

Positive coronavirus cases halt 'Aladdin' a day after it reopened

Lonnie Smith, soulful jazz organist, is dead at 79

After a choreographer's suicide, ballet confronts tough questions

After a Met Opera Milestone, 'Boris' brings another

In Paris, it's literary scandal season again

Laumeier Sculpture Park explores remembrance, connection, and strength of community in new exhibition

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens in Los Angeles

Christie's eyes $2 mln for Wallis Simpson bangle at auction

How You Can Keep Your Washing Machine Well Maintained

Make the Right Health Insurance Choice For You and Your Family in Switzerland

Pop Culture and the Fan Art Phenomenon




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

sa gaming free credit
Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful