Nicholas Kirk Architects
Nicholas Kirk Architects
APERTURA was a collaborative project with Artists Ed Carter and Tony Broomhead to create an interactive sonic sculpture at Hadrian’s Wall - a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northumberland, UK.
The sculpture comprised 1900 copper chimes to form an evolving soundscape in the ever-changing breeze, inviting audiences to experience a constantly changing, interactive spectacle of shimmering light and sound.
Commissioned for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival, APERTURA responds to the history and topography of this stunning World Heritage Site.
APERTURA was commissioned by Northumberland County Council on behalf of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival. It was funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
Photos by Jill Tate
Video Link
https://vimeo.com/751186209
The work highlights a visual fissure in the landscape – a missing section of Hadrian’s Wall, which was lost during the whinstone quarrying that continued until the 1970s.
Inspired by the role of Hadrian’s Wall as a cultural meeting point, the piece reflects on Rudolph Arnheim’s comment that “openings mediate between the worlds separated by architectural barriers”, and encourages a dialogue around our shared experience of borders, boundaries and thresholds.
The wooden sails that hang beneath the windchimes have been decorated by local community participants, breathing life into the sculpture.
Credits:
Artwork by Ed Carter, Nicky Kirk, and Tony Broomhead
Producers: Maddie Maughan and Ellie Turner
Structural Engineers: Price & Myers
Fabricators: MorFab
Sail fabricators: Jamie Fry
Engagement: Amanda Drago of Green Croft Arts
Art technicians: Ken Brown | Peter J. Evans | John Smith | Matt Stokes
Production Management: TG Events
Drone footage: James Winnifrith
Commissioned by Northumberland County Council on behalf of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival.
Funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
https://1900.hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/events/apertura/