Chiharu Shiota at YSP

I seem to be having quite a few 'cultural' visits lately. These photos are from a day out at YSP (Yorkshire Sculpture Park) near Wakefield. The huge park has many sculptures (both permanent acquisitions and touring works) displayed outside and also in several indoor gallery spaces.

This work by the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota filled the historic 18th century estate chapel, and I loved it. Called 'Beyond Time', it was created specifically for this venue. The installation consists of miles of intricately woven and knotted white string, emanating from a ghostly black wire piano (or organ), and scattered with sheet music and copies of pages from the YSP archives. The structure rises and twists like a series of glorious cathedral arches, or perhaps ethereal trees, resonating with the spirit of the chapel, invoking the worship that once took place here and the people whose bodies lie in the graveyard outside. It is like looking at a silent sound. Extraordinary. (Read more HERE.)

The exhibition also included some drawings and a bronze sculpture, called 'Belonging' that I also liked very much. It depicts a woman's hand curved into a man's, sheltering a child's hand between. The artist says: “Because much of my art is temporary and only remains as a memory in people’s mind, I wanted to create something that was more everlasting. The new sculpture Belonging is also informed by my understanding of the boundaries created between us by race, nationality, religion or language, but my deep belief that we are all connected.”