09 March 2007
Turning the Place Over
Major new commission by artist Richard Wilson for Liverpool
European Capital of Culture.
The most daring piece of public art ever commissioned in the UK,
Turning the Place Over is artist Richard Wilson’s most radical
intervention into architecture to date, turning a building in
Liverpool’s city centre literally inside out. One of Wilson’s very
rare temporary works, Turning the Place Over colonises Cross Keys
House, Moorfields, and will be launched on 18 May 2007 and will run
through until end of 2008.
Co-commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company and Liverpool
Biennial, co-funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency
and The Northern Way, and facilitated by Liverpool Vision, the
project is a stunning trailblazer for Liverpool’s Year as European
Capital of Culture 2008, and the jewel in the crown of the Culture
Company’s public art programme.
Richard Wilson is one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors. He
is internationally celebrated for his interventions in
architectural space that draw heavily for their inspiration from
the worlds of engineering and construction.
Turning the Place Over consists of an 8 metre diameter ovoid cut
from the façade of a building in Liverpool city centre and made to
oscillate in three dimensions. The revolving façade rests on a
specially designed giant rotator, usually used in the shipping and
nuclear industries, and acts as a huge opening and closing
‘window’, offering recurrent glimpses of the interior during its
constant cycle during daylight hours.
The construction programme started in February 2007 and involves
the careful deconstruction of the façade across three floors of the
building, which is then reconstructed and fixed to the enormous
pivot installed at the heart of the building. This astonishing feat
of engineering will stun audiences on many levels. Disturbing and
disorientating from a distance, from close-up passers-by have a
thrilling experience as the building rotates above them.
Wilson has exhibited widely nationally and internationally for
the past twenty years and has made major museum exhibitions and
public works throughout the world. Wilson has also represented
Britain in the Sydney, Sao Paulo and Venice Bienniales and been
nominated for the Turner Prize on two occasions. He was one
of a select number of artists invited to create a major public work
for The Millennium Dome and the only British artist invited to
participate in Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial 2000, the largest
contemporary art project ever staged in Japan.
Wilson’s past projects have generated both critical and popular
acclaim. His seminal installation 20:50, a sea of reflective
sump oil which is permanently installed in the Saatchi Collection,
was described as ‘one of the masterpieces of the modern age’ by the
art critic Andrew Graham Dixon in the BBC television series The
History of British Art.
Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council
said, “In 2008 works of art that turn people's heads and get them
talking will be a major part of the city's cultural programme.
Liverpool Biennial is famous for depicting the city in a new light
and in the build-up to the celebrations we are looking forward to
the reactions to this ambitious new work from an artist of such a
high calibre.”
Lewis Biggs, Director of Liverpool Biennial said, “It’s a dream
come true to be able to realise this fabulous artwork in Liverpool,
and in the most appropriate context imaginable. We thank our
funders and co-commissioner for their belief in our project, and
Richard Wilson for his amazing vision. Turning the Place Over will
be remembered and celebrated for as long as people’s jaws are
capable of dropping.”
Peter Mearns, Director of Marketing and Communications at the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) said, “This
exciting new intervention is a major boost for the city’s Capital
of Culture celebrations. Wilson is pushing the boundaries of what
can be achieved in public art and the NWDA is pleased to support
the initiative, which will help to highlight the region’s
world-class cultural offering.”
Notes to editors:
Cross Keys House is located at 37-41 Moorfields, Liverpool
The Liverpool Culture Company was established by Liverpool City
Council in 2000, to lead the bid to be European Capital of Culture
2008. After a two-year nationwide competition featuring 12 cities,
Liverpool was chosen in June 2003 to represent the UK in 2008. The
Liverpool Culture Company, which is funded through a mixture of
public funding and private commercial sponsorship, announced the
first highlights for 2008 in November 2006. It is also coordinating
Liverpool's 800th anniversary celebrations throughout 2007. It is
estimated Liverpool will attract an extra 1.7 million visitors in
2008. For more information please log on to www.liverpool08.com
Liverpool Biennial is the celebrated promoter and organiser of
Liverpool’s international festival of contemporary art and is a
visual arts agency delivering public art commissions, such as
Richard Wilson’s Turning the Place Over and Antony Gormley’s
Another Place at Crosby Beach. Visit www.biennial.com
Cross Keys House, Moorfields is a former Yates’ Wine Lodge and
is now owned by Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The
NWDA leads the economic development and regeneration of England’s
Northwest and is responsible for:
Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
Matching skills provision to employer needs
Creating the conditions for economic growth
Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
For more information visit www.nwda.co.uk
This project is funded by The Northern Way as part of its
£4.4million Welcome to the North public arts programme. A small
number of iconic artworks will be positioned at key gateways as
part of an innovative overall £10 million programme, which has been
developed with Arts Council England, the three northern Cultural
Consortia and other partners. The Northern Way is a unique
collaboration led by the three Northern Regional Development
Agencies (One NorthEast, Northwest Regional Development Agency and
Yorkshire Forward) working with partners including Arts Council
England to close the £30 billion output gap between the North and
the average for England over a 25 year period.
Contractors working on Turning The Place Over are: Structural
Engineers - Price & Myers LLP, Mechanical Engineers - F. Bode
& Sons, Quantity Surveyors - Nic Porter Associates,
Construction - Askham Construction, Steel fabricators - Lindhurst
Engineering.
For further information images and interviews please contact
0161 237 5252
Catharine Braithwaite for Liverpool Biennial on 07947 644 110 or
cat@we-r-lethal.com
Shelagh Bourke for The Liverpool Culture Company on 0791819016 or
she@we-r-lethal.com