A@W Newsletter

Whether you’re visiting a new place or exploring your neighbourhood, there are cultural happenings popping up across this summer around the UK.

by Helen Parton

Summer doesn’t just, hopefully, represent a switch up to sunny weather but also a chance to explore the different physical forms of various artistic disciplines from architecture and design to sculpture and illustration. Here are some highlights from around the UK.

Built predominantly in timber, the elements of Archipelagic Void form an oculus in the centre that draws natural light. © Iwan Baan Courtesy: Serpentine

London’s Kensington Gardens once again showcases architectural innovation with the opening of the annual Serpentine Pavilion. Now in its 23^rd year, the commission for this year is entitled Archipelagic Void  and is the work of Seoul-based architect Minsuk Cho and his firm Mass Studies. Eschewing the idea of a single structure, the piece is instead composed of five islands in different sizes, heights and forms. Each structure serves a different purpose, from hosting a specially commissioned soundscape to a live events space.

Halima Cassell-Memento Mori is intended to be reminiscent of buds about to bloom or flickering flames. © Phil Langstaff

Heading to West Midlands, the mediaeval market town of Shrewsbury plays host to an all-female sculpture trail, which harnesses a range of materials and can be seen until the end of August. British sculptor and ceramicist Hamlima Cassell presents three installations: Hurricane is hard carved in fibreglass and Jesmonite while Memento Mori is a pair of iron teardrop shapes. Alice Irwin’s installation in the open air courtyard at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery features steel sculptures in bright colours while Almuth Tebenhoff’s five-metre tall steel Red Head Sunset Stack, dramatically rises up from a pond in Shrewsbury’s Quarry park. 

The Illustrated Hospital features a large collection of pieces by Quentin Blake. © Geoff Price

Given the vagaries of the British weather in summer, it’s always handy to have an indoor option. A new exhibition of beloved British illustrator Quentin Blake’s work should provide the perfect respite from potential summer showers. The Illustrated Hospital is a selection of the artist’s drawings for hospitals and healthcare settings in the UK and France. The work, which includes poignant landscapes, playful treetops and even dragons can be seen at Moyse’s Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk until 6 October.

The Kelpies can be found in The Helix, a 350 acre ecopark located between Falkirk and Grangemouth. ©  Roberto Ricciuti

Visitors to The Kelpies, which can be found in The Helix eco-park in Scotland, will this summer be able to gain further insight into the 30 metre steel horses, thanks to the launch of bespoke tours to mark their tenth anniversary. These will include details around the inspiration behind the work by Andy Scott, as well as the craftsmanship that brought the steel structures to life and the complex engineering process that made their construction possible, with the opportunity to view them from the inside. The pieces are modelled on two Clydesdale horses, which made a significant contribution to Scotland’s agricultural and industrial heritage.

Play Place explores how urban spaces can be re-claimed for children with their physical and mental health in mind. © Delve Architects

And finally catch it while you can, Play Place is an installation created by Delve Architects and Plaey Workshop that is part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture which runs throughout June. Located in Leicester Square Gardens, a widely popular part of London, it features a supersized, colourful shape-sorting puzzle. The piece is intended as a children’s play area and also serves as a call to action for developers and policy makers to consider the next generation and the positive impact design can have on a child’s development. Look out for it popping up elsewhere this summer.

In the upcoming months, there’s no excuse not to get out there and soak up the UK’s vibrant summer cultural scene.