Blue Bell Hangar Project 2010-12

Blue Bell Hangar is an experimental sculpture which was the result of a collaboration between seven artists of New British Art.

 

Taking its form from the experimental tetrahedral kites of historical innovator Alexander Graham Bell, the sculpture draws its meaning from a historic context strongly associated with the birth of man-powered flight and the spirit of experimentation ushered in at the beginning of the 20th Century.

 

The event opened on the 27th March at the blue bell hangar, near Picketsone at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales offering an exciting opportunity to view a large scale sculpture in a monumental space. The sculpture was then moved to Cilyrynys in Porthyrhyd, Carmarthenshire and an attempt to fly it was made by the artists a year later in March 2011.

 

The project concluded with the release of a publication with images and writings by the artists and a film by John Minton, who has followed the progress of the project from beginning to end and his film stands, not only as a documentary of the events, but also as his contribution to the project.  

 

The artists involved in this project are Rachel Bennett, Dallas Collins, Mark Halliday, Luke Mintowt-Czyz, Caroline Taylor, Becky Whitmore, Gareth Williams and John Minton.

 

Click here to view the film. If you would like a copy of the publication, please let us know.

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This project was part funded by a Stiwdio Safle award.  The Stiwdio Safle scheme is made possible with the financial assistance of the Arts Council of Wales.

 

New British Art acknowledge the kind help of the Welsh Government which allowed free use of the hangar, staff of the Ministry of Defence for their kind co-operation, Airborne Systems for supplying some of the materials for the project and CFAR for additional funding towards the publication.