To mark Remembrance, Imperial War Museum North in Manchester will be exhibiting a new sculpture by renowned contemporary artist Gerry Judah, in the main exhibition space, 6 November 2010 – November 2011.
Gerry Judah The Crusader
The huge work of art is the first exhibit visitors will see on entering the Museum’s Main Exhibition Space.
Gerry Judah’s new piece, entitled The Crusader, has been created in direct response to contemporary global conflict. It reflects on modern day wars but also resonates with the history of world conflict, showing how war has and continues to shape lives. This makes it a powerful and thought-provoking piece at Remembrance.
This striking, snow white sculpture comprises a seven metre, three-dimensional structure covered with a web of war torn buildings. The setting in Imperial War Museum North’s landmark building – designed to represent a globe shattered by conflict – is fitting as Judah’s work is a reaction to the Museum’s architecture, as well as its and themes of war and conflict.
The Crusader is the culmination of five years of engagement with conflict in which Judah has created a series of three-dimensional paintings of war damaged cities, inspired by recent global events. It is the first and only sculpture in this body of work, which was initially conceived when Judah produced the acclaimed Auschwitz-Birkenau model for the Holocaust Exhibition in Imperial War Museum London in 2000.
This is the second piece in Imperial War Museum North’s Reactions artist intervention programme. The programme works with artists who then create new work in response to the Museum’s displays, themes and architecture, encouraging visitors to question, critique and respond during their visit.
Imperial War Museum North is the ideal place to visit this Remembrance, with a series of events on offer, alongside Judah’s sculpture. The traditional silences at 11 am will be marked on Thursday 11 and Sunday 14 November, with a reading of the First World War poem In Flanders Field and a Piper’s Lament bagpipe performance respectively. There will be What A Performance family shows throughout 11 November, while families can get creative in the Open Studio on Saturdays 7 and 14 November.
Closer Look Tours explore moving Remembrance stories on 8, 11, 12 November. Visitors can also discover more about the role of war artists and the role of the Imperial War Museum in commissioning and collecting art – such as The Crusader by Gerry Judah – through A Closer Look: War Art Tours every Wednesday in November as well as Sunday 21 and 28 November. The tours are at 2.15pm.
Jim Forrester, Imperial War Museum North Director, said: ‘Gerry Judah’s work is always powerful and this dramatic sculpture will hopefully set all our visitors thinking this Remembrance and beyond. It offers a thought-provoking perspective on conflict, highlighting how war shapes lives.’
Lower image: Gerry Judah with sculpture
Imperial War Museum North
The Quays
Trafford Wharf Road
Manchester M17 1TZ
north.iwm.org.uk