University of Sunderland lecturer Colin Rennie and Sunderland-based artist Alexandra Carr have been jointly named the Visual Artist of the Year in the Culture Awards North East.
They won the award for their remarkable kinetic sculpture Only Breath, which is on display in the Science Museum in London. The artwork, incorporating reclaimed mirrors, recyclable stainless steel and timber from trees felled by storm Arwen, hangs above visitors and appears to breathe. Only Breath reminds visitors of the delicate balance we must maintain in our pursuit of a greener, more sustainable future.
In 2022 Cherie Federico, the Director of the Aesthetica art prize, suggested Alexandra Carr for a new commission for the Science Museum. Alexandra, alongside Colin Rennie, had been earlier shortlisted for a commission for the National Railway Museum in York, and so they decided to pitch together for the Science Museum. Their pitch for that commission was for a five meter wide sculpture that would literally bloom into life over the heads of visitors, the artwork that eventually became Only Breath.
“The Science Museum were taken by the blend of technological engineering with sensitive motion along with the references to renewable energy, sustainable materials and recyclability,” says Colin Rennie, who is Senior Lecturer in Hot Glass at the University of Sunderland. “The work was created over a period of 18 months, and was assembled in our own studio in Sunderland assisted by Architectural Metalworkers Ltd in Washington.”
The artwork was the first powered kinetic artwork that Colin and Alexandra have produced, though other works by the duo have incorporated movement in the past.
Colin says, “The motion control element was handled by the fabulous team at Hepco Automation who engineered the slow, sinusoidal breathing motion of the sculpture. We also worked in collaboration with structural engineers Buro Happold, who helped bring us to model stage, and then finalised the entire structure and analysed every individual element.”
The artwork was an instant success with visitors to the Science Museum. It was ranked fifth most popular artwork in the world in the recent CODA public vote competition, was featured in Aesthetica Magazine, and in Wallpaper Magazine, and has now won a North East Culture Award.
“The work is described as the beating heart of the gallery by the Science Museum,” says Colin. “And of course we were absolutely delighted to be recognised for our achievement in the Culture Awards.”
The North East Culture Awards are an annual celebration of the thriving arts and cultural scene in the north-east, and this year were sponsored by the University of Sunderland and Sunderland City Council. Only Breath was nominated for the Visual Artist of the Year award by Julia Stephenson, Head of Arts at National Glass Centre.
“Alexandra and I both have projects ongoing with scientists, including Volcanologists in Durham, so look out for those,” says Colin. “We are working on more projects which incorporate science and art, and will announce these soon.”
You can view Only Breath at the Adani Green Energy, Energy Revolution Gallery on floor 2 of the Science Museum in London for the next 10 years.