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The Whitworth to unveil new commission by Anya Gallaccio

23 Jun 2016

Only tree taken down during Whitworth’s redevelopment to be reimagined in steel from architectural scan

working drawing

From 24 June 2016, the Whitworth will unveil a new public sculpture by internationally acclaimed British artist Anya Gallaccio in Whitworth Park. In only the second permanent public sculpture of her career the artist will reimagine in steel a tree removed from the park during the Whitworth’s £15 million redevelopment by architects MUMA (McInnes Usher McKnight Architects).

During the redevelopment of the Whitworth it was discovered that one of the London Plane trees on the south side of the building had died of natural causes and would need to be removed. Noticing the tree’s absence on a visit to the site Gallaccio chose to give an artistic response to the park’s loss through a permanent and ghostly sculptural commission.

Director of the Whitworth, Dr. Maria Balshaw, commented: ‘The redevelopment of the Whitworth was designed to open up the gallery to the surrounding park and community, so I was delighted when Anya suggested creating a piece that reflected both. It’s so exciting to see the commission come together and know that this timeless artwork will be enjoyed by visitors all year round.’

Gallaccio’s work engages with the dualities of nature and transience versus the fixed, traditionally making use of materials such as flowers, chocolate, fruit and sugar that degrade and change over time. In a departure from her usual practice Gallaccio reimagines the missing tree out of stainless steel using the architect’s 3D digital architectural scan of the area. Through her use of this material she will reference the heritage of the Whitworth, which was founded by Victorian engineer and inventor Joseph Whitworth, alongside the buildings redevelopment now with its stainless steel and glass brick extension.

Anya Gallaccio says: ‘Usually I would take an existing object and transform it; not making a copy but a new unique object determined by the form and material properties of the original. I am interested here in using the data to produce a sculpture that is a ghost of the real tree, without being a replica.’ Anya Gallaccio’s work is found in the collections of Tate; the Victoria and Albert Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Towner, Eastbourne; the Whitworth, Manchester; British Council Collection; Arts Council Collection; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Seattle Art Museum and in several private collections notably that of Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh.

She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2003 and is a Professor of Fine Art at the University of California, San Diego. Her permanent public work in the Whitworth Park is supported by the Karpidas Foundation, The Oglesby Trust, The Art Fund and through a major Exceptional Arts Awards from Arts Council England.

In celebration of the new sculpture the galleries Whitworth Young Contemporaries, young people aged 15 -25, will programme Circuit: WARP arts festival taking place from 23 – 26 June 2016.

Throughout the weekend festival visitors will experience a range of events for all the family that warp art, music, performance together beneath the trees of the park.

Further information

For further details, visit: