Flower sculptures bring Eastern spice to Bury

Eye-catching new artwork will be officially unveiled on Saturday 27 September at the entrance of Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre.

The flower sculptures, which have just been installed, are the work of Hsiao-Chi Tsai and Kimiya Yoshikawa from Taiwan and Japan respectively.

The work has been commissioned to coincide with the launch of the Asia Triennial Manchester. This is the only Asian Art Triennial outside the Asia Pacific region, and features exhibitions, films, events, talks and workshops by international and UK artists, responding to the theme of Conflict and Compassion, at venues across the city.

During the Triennal, Bury Art Museum feature a major exhibition of Tsai and Yoshikawa’s work - Scintilla from our sun – from 27 September to 29 November.

Together, the outdoor sculptures in Bury are called “A Couplet” and are made from aluminium and stainless steel.

A pair of statues or paintings is often found outside official buildings in Asia, as a symbol of guardianship and to bring luck and good fortune to the people.  

Tsai and Yoshikawa have undertaken numerous commissions, projects and exhibitions in Europe and South East Asia, debuting in 2007 with a spectacular sequence of seven large-scale window displays for the Harvey Nichols flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. Most prominently, ‘The Lion’, a three-metre high permanent sculpture, was unveiled in 2009 in the heart of London’s Chinatown.

Councillor Jane Lewis, Bury’s cabinet member for communities and culture, said: “These sculptures bring a vibrant splash of colour to the town centre, welcoming guests to our new sculpture centre and the work that is exhibited inside. Work of this nature really puts Bury on the international artistic map and encourages even more people to visit our borough.”

Bury Sculpture Centre is open Tuesday to Friday (10am to 5pm) and on Saturday (10am to 4.30pm).

For more details of the Manchester Asia Triennial, see http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/.

ENDS

Press release issued: 25 September 2014.

Picture attached: “A Couplet”.

Note to editors:

Exhibition Launch: 27 September, 11am to 1pm (with refreshments), FREE. 12pm - artists Tsai and Yoshikawa will give a guided tour of exhibition.

Eastern Nights (Bury Light Night): 10 October, 7pm, FREE. As part of the Bury Light Night events artists Tsai and Yoshikawa will give a guided tour of exhibition Scintilla from our sun

Scintilla from our sun: 19 November, 3pm, FREE. Artists Tsai and Yoshikawa will give a guided tour of exhibition

For press enquiries contact: Diana Hamilton - 07969 202184

Email: diana@thehamiltonproject.co.uk