Yorkshire Sculpture Park has high hopes for town hall sculpture

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WAKEFIELD.- Yorkshire Sculpture Park has loaned a piece of work to Barnsley Council for the new community square and gardens.

The new community square and gardens, currently underway at the Lancaster Gate side of Barnsley Town Hall, will feature a striking sculpture thanks to a loan from Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP).

Crossing (Vertical) by Nigel Hall is planned to be positioned at the bottom corner of the landscaped area towards the end of May and will be a key element of the new square.

Made of corten (weathering) steel and standing 10 metres high, the sculpture was created in 2006 and was sited at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in March 2008, welcoming visitors to the first major survey of Hall’s work in the UK.

Since the late 1980s, Nigel Hall has created a significant body of work for the open air and has been commissioned to make sculpture for public spaces by institutions around the world.

Hall’s understanding of how objects may occupy and define space informs the way in which he makes sculpture for outdoor spaces.

Hall’s sculpture is often inspired by his experience of walking in a landscape: how views change depending on different approaches, the pauses taken to appreciate being in a place and the effects of the seasons and weather.

Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Development, Environment and Culture (Operations) said: “We are very grateful to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for the loan of a stunning contemporary artwork that complements the excellent design of the square and creates an international quality public space for the residents and visitors to Barnsley.

“The improvements to the whole area provide an impressive connection to Experience Barnsley and create a new public space that will be multi-functional, supporting Experience Barnsley activities and other events.

“I believe this and similar projects will lift Barnsley town centre, stimulating growth and encouraging investment that will strengthen the town centre business economy. This and other measures set out in the council’s Economic Strategy will be the catalysts to create new jobs and grow business, enhancing the vibrancy of the town centre, both day and night.”

Peter Murray CBE, Executive Director, Yorkshire Sculpture Park says: “YSP’s mission is to be an international centre for the creation, display and appreciation of sculpture, and most especially, to share some of the best examples of art with communities outside London.

“Nigel Hall’s sculptures have not only been displayed at YSP, where he had a major exhibition in 2008, but also in city centres across the world including Seoul, Hiroshima and Canberra. We are delighted to work with Barnsley Council to add the town to that list, celebrating the launch of Experience Barnsley.”