Date and times of this event.
Date(s) - 16/07/2021 - 12/09/2021
Time(s) - All Day
By artist Steve Messam
County Durham-based artist Steve Messam has created a new body of work in which redundant and ruined buildings are temporarily transformed into follies to illuminate their role in the history of the landscape and the character of place. Site-specific and undertaken in Teesdale and Weardale, Messam’s sculptural forms existed for only a matter of hours; they are photographed to capture the moment when the landscape was changed by their presence.
As Steve explains, “The project transformed a number of ruined structures in the landscape temporarily into fantastical follies and visual landmarks. By highlighting these often-overlooked structures the project aimed to reveal the layers of narrative that make up the story of the land, from mining and agriculture, to the transformative effect of the railways and the role of landowners.
Unique textile forms filled or wrapped fragile buildings, adding form and colour that imagines them in new ways. The use of textiles enables significant forms to be created without the need for fixing into the structure of the building or damaging it in any way.
The project began during the first lockdown in 2020. With all other work postponed and a desire to stay local, it became an ideal way to explore the local landscape and create new work.”
The Architect of Ruins is an exhibition of the photographs Messam took of his site-specific forms, on a massive scale and displayed on billboards, the exhibition continues the theme of creations in a landscape.
Located around the Killhope site, the large-scale images from a new perspective within the existing landscape.
The Architect of Ruins recreates aspects of the original installations as the audience is required to move through the landscape in order to experience the exhibition
This is a free exhibition.
