To celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Victoria Art Gallery will exhibit a group of 30 bronze sculptures depicting various sports, recently commissioned by public art organiser, Art At The Edge CIC.
The great success of the British sports team at the Beijing Olympics 2008 was the catalyst for this project, which brings together some of Britain’s most established and up and coming sculptors to interpret individual sporting disciplines. Twenty nine of the sculptors, including Bath’s Alan Dun and Deborah van der Beek, were chosen to reflect a cross-section of contemporary British sculpture and the thirtieth was selected in an open sculpture competition.
The sculptures have been cast in bronze as limited editions of 25 by Pangolin Editions, Europe’s leading sculpture foundry. The bronzes will be displayed on the Victoria Art Gallery’s ground floor, alongside several lifesize versions including one of Bath’s Winter Olympics gold medallist, Amy Williams. Other large scale pieces will be on view in Bath’s public spaces over the summer.
Councillor Cherry Beath (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “We are delighted to exhibit these fantastic bronze sculptures at the Victoria Art Gallery as part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Olympic and Paralympic celebrations. The exhibition, running from 26 May to 1 July, will build on the excitement generated by the Torch Relay coming through Bath on 22 May and help to get people geared up for the games.”
The following events will also be held at the Victoria Art Gallery to celebrate the exhibition:
- Friday 1 June, 6.00-8.00pm: The Bohemian Embassy plays live amidst the sculptures with a free concert as part of Party in the City;
- Thursday 7 June, 12.30-1.30pm: Gymnastics event performed by students from the Baskerville Gymnastics Centre;
- Friday 22 June, 12.30-1.30pm: A free talk from the curator of ‘Sculpture and Sport’ Alan Dun. No booking necessary but spaces are limited.
The idea and spirit of the Art At The Edge collection has its roots in the art competitions that formed part of the modern Olympic Games during its early years, from 1912 to 1952. The sculptors were selected from across the UK to contribute different approaches and styles. Each sculptor chose a different sport and was given the opportunity to liaise with a representative of their chosen sport’s national governing body to gain insight into its character and dynamics.
The criteria for the Art at the Edge competition were that each entry should be based on an Olympic or Paralympic event, should not exceed 400mm in size in any dimension and should be suitable for casting into bronze.
This project was made possible through a generous donation by the Roper Family Charitable Trust and the support of Bath & North East Somerset Council and several Bath-based businesses.
Justin Braithwaite, founder of Art At The Edge, said: “Our selection of sculptures attempts to create a journey through contemporary sculptural styles and themes exploring the inherent artistry in different sporting events as interpreted by artists, looking forward to the Olympics in 2012.”
The Victoria Art Gallery, near Pulteney Bridge in Bath, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sundays 1.30pm to 5pm and closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more details call 01225 477233 or visit the Gallery’s website http://www.victoriagal.org.uk.
