Ceramic mushrooms suspended from the ceiling will form the centrepiece of Tullie’s redeveloped welcome foyer.
The Carlisle museum has acquired the piece by British artist Serena Korda, bought with support from the Arts Council England/ V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Art Fund, and the Henry Moore Foundation.
The installation – called Hold Fast, Stand Sure, I scream a revolution – is comprised of 29 porcelain mushroom ‘bells’ which hang from the ceiling.
To accompany the piece, she has been commissioned to create a soundscape using field recordings made in and around Carlisle.
Three of the mushrooms produce different notes and sounds which can be played. Tullie plans to train a group of community volunteers to play these for performances at special events.
For the accompanying soundscape, Serena will be doing a call out to the people of Carlisle for ‘thin places’ around the city – places where there is something strange about the landscape, from a fallen tree to a giant mound, places that in the past may have been seen as portals to the afterlife.
Serena will then make field recordings in these places which will be incorporated into the artwork.
Hold Fast, Stand Sure, I scream a revolution will be one of the first things visitors see on entering Tullie’s new welcome area, due for completion this summer. The welcome area is part of Phase 2 of Project Tullie, the museum’s major capital development programme.
The sound sculpture was originally created for Reid Gallery and An Tobar and Mull Theatre (Comar) for Glasgow International 2016.
The artwork was selected following consultation with Tullie staff and its community board with the support of Arts & Heritage, an arts organisation which specialises in creating collaborations between artists and museums and heritage sites.
Serena said: “It is fantastic that my shrooms have found their permanent home at Tullie, responding to this exciting phase of the building and the opening of its new atrium.
“I am honoured to be making a new sound piece for the work that responds to Carlisle and its surrounding areas through deep listening and field recordings. The shrooms reflect the resilience and resourcefulness of this place and its people. I can’t wait for the bells to find their new home and sound in this new building.”
Anna Smalley, head of collections and engagement at Tullie, added: “It’s incredibly exciting to be able to acquire such an interactive piece of artwork for the new welcome area. Serena creates atmospheric pieces of art that will inspire visitors of all ages.
“Having such a bold piece in Tullie’s welcome area is a real statement of intent for the museum’s future plans and we can’t wait to see people’s reactions to it.”
