The Triumph of Art: UK wide work culminating in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square will today see the culmination of months of work involving a series of significant art projects involving hundreds of people from across the United Kingdom.
Work on the event started in Spring with participants from Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland engaging in preparations.
The Triumph of Art sees partnerships from The Box in Plymouth, Mostyn in Llandudno, The Playhouse in Derry / Londonderry and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee.
Today rounds off the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations with an event in Trafalgar Square that starts at eleven and finishes at 4 p.m. Organisers say a procession will start in Whitehall.
‘I’m looking forward to working with partners across all four nations to create something epic to mark the Gallery’s 200 years,’ explains Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller who is central to the event.
The National Gallery says anyone and everyone can join Jeremy Deller and ‘a cast of artists, friends, performers and musicians in Trafalgar Square.’
It adds they’ll be a chance ‘to dance, play, make, drink tea, eat cake, see performances and meet some artistic characters that you might recognise from the National Gallery Collection…and some you might not.’
Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. Image: © Peter Davidson / National Gallery.
‘The Triumph of Art is a celebration of creativity’
‘Over two years Jeremy Deller has explored ancient mythologies, local folklore and motivations to gather, from across the UK and from the National Gallery’s collection to create an event that is joyful, surreal and hopefully like nothing else that has come before,’ says National Gallery curator Emily Stone.
‘The Triumph of Art is a celebration of creativity, making and impressive bodies – a blend of the ancient and the contemporary – which can only be truly experienced live, eventually becoming its own mythology in the stories, images and memories of those who were present.’
‘The project is really the first of its kind in the UK and we can’t wait for everyone to join in.’
The colourful day will also feature brass bands, rave and folk dancing, craft workshops, inflatables – plus weight lifters. Organisers explain families are welcome and there will be plenty space for feeding babies – and space for little ones to see the show.
The event will include: Armagh Rhymers, Band Pres Llareggub, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, Boss Morris, Canolfan Technoleg Amgen / Centre for Alternative Technology, Celtronic, Commando Temple, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design students, Ed Hall, Emergency Exit Arts, Frân Wen, Glow Inflatables, Heart n Soul, kennardphillipps, London Contemporary Dance School, Melodian Steel Orchestra, The Power Building Gym and the William Morris Gallery.
Breaktime News recently covered the re-opening of The National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing.
