Yesterday we visited Derby to meet and have lunch with friends and also to visit the Cathedral where there were two things on display that I've wanted to see for while.
Outside the Cathedral is The Knife Angel
whilst inside The Museum of the Moon can be found.
The Knife Angel is a twenty seven foot sculpture made from over one hundred thousand bladed weapons.
The knives and other weapons used have come from Police Forces all over the country who have had them handed in during surrender schemes and weapon amnesties.
In 2014 a campaign called 'Save a Life, surrender your knife' was started in reaction to the rise in knife crime across the country. Clive Knowles the Chairman of the British Ironworks Centre at Oswestry in Shropshire wanted to find a way, through art, to highlight this campaign.
The weapons were collected, cleaned and blunted. People who had suffered from knife crime were invited to come and engrave personal messages on the blades before they were finally put into place to create the angel. The statue is a symbol of the pain of loss that the friends and families of victims of knife crime feel and the futility of these crimes.
The Angel can be seen until 30th October.
The Museum of the Moon is on display in the Cathedral until 6th October.
It is a stunning installation which combines both sound and light to bring insight into one of our closest neighbours in the solar system.
The art work is by artist Luke Jerram and the sounds and music by composer Dan Jones. The moon measures seven metres in diameter and once inflated weighs about forty kilos.
It is made from fire resistant white fabric and has images from NASA printed on its surface. It is kept inflated by a small fan embedded in its north pole.
It was stunning and we spent ages just looking upwards and I think I managed to photograph it from all sides.
After we left the Cathedral we headed to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery for lunch. Afterwards we saw a wonderful exhibition of Japanese Art including watercolours and prints from the museum's collections.
The paintings of fish, birds and animals were exquisite. No photos of the paintings I'm afraid.
Origami birds across the floor of the gallery. I think there have been Origami workshops held in the gallery during the exhibition.
Amazing, especially the Knife Angel... Done by a wonderful campaign.
ReplyDeleteBut, was there a movement, to _outlaw_ knives?
As here, we have movements to outlaw guns.
And are there movements to outlaw delivery trucks, when they are used in mass slaughters?
-sigh-
I am simply pointing out, the truth... That knives and guns and delivery vans, do not kill and maim people. People do. And they use hatchets, to do this too.
Good people have the Right, keep weapons, to protect themselves, from the bad people.
I don't think there was, just a movement to discourage children and young people from carrying them and there are often amnesties for folks to hand them in to the police:)
DeleteWhat an interesting day out :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a super day out, I think everyone enjoyed themselves:)
DeleteOh fantastic, I've read about both of these brilliant projects and I'm delighted to see them on your blog and to know that you have been to see them. 😊
ReplyDeleteI'd seen them separately on news clips and on several blogs but never thought I'd see both in the same place on the same day:)
DeleteThese are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThey are both great things to see:)
DeleteI'm glad you got to see the sculpture, the moon and the exhibition in the art gallery/museum. Would love to get there myself, but probably not possible so thank you for sharing your photos.
ReplyDeleteWe found out about the moon display last week and made the arrangement to meet friends and then the day before we read that the Angel was there too so that was a bonus, as was the Japanese art exhibition:)
DeleteWhat a wonderful post Rosie - I am so pleased you have managed to see the Knife Angel and Museum of the Moon. Thanks for all the information - you found out a lot more than me about both :) The moon looks stunning in the cathedral - personally I think that is a much better setting for it than when we saw it outdoors.
ReplyDeleteThe exhibition looks good - love the origami birds :)
Thank you RR, it was an unexpected bonus to see both displays together, the Angel was only put in place a couple of days before. I thought the moon looked wonderful in the cathedral, I've seen photos elsewhere of it in there at night with the lights - it looked stunning:)
DeleteThe Knife Angel looks quite imposing, it must be quite something to see. I saw the moon a couple of years ago when it was in Leeds and i've just seen his Earth exhibition too, it's quite amazing isn't it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam, the Angel is quite extraordinary and makes you think. I loved the moon it was so beautiful. I'd heard about the earth one Gaia - it must have been wonderful to see. I hope it comes out way at some point:)
DeleteThe Knife Angel is certainly impactful! I would have loved to have seen the moon installation too especially with its sound and light. x
ReplyDeleteThank you Simone, the moon was wonderful, I saw some photos of it taken at night in the cathedral - it looked amazing:)
DeleteThank you Agnes, glad you enjoyed them:)
ReplyDelete