Saturday 10 September – Sunday 16th October
APERTURA by Ed Carter, Nicky Kirk and Tony Broomhead is an interactive sonic sculpture set in the picturesque setting of Northumberland National Park’s, Walltown Country Park.
The sculpture us made up of 1900 copper chimes, creating an evolving soundscape in the ever-changing breeze and inviting audiences to experience a constantly changing, interactive spectacle of shimmering light and sound.
Commissioned for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival, APERTURA has been created in response to the history and topography of Walltown Country Park.
The work highlights a visual fissure in the landscape – a missing section of Hadrian’s Wall, which was lost during the whinstone quarrying that continued until the 1970s.
Inspired by the role of Hadrian’s Wall as a cultural meeting point, the piece reflects on Rudolph Arnheim’s comment that “openings mediate between the worlds separated by architectural barriers”, and encourages a dialogue around our shared experience of borders, boundaries and thresholds.
The wooden sails that hang beneath the windchimes have been decorated by local community participants, breathing life into the sculpture.
APERTURA has been commissioned by Northumberland County Council on behalf of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival. It is funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
Image credit Jill Tate
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About the Artists
Ed Carter devises and creates musical compositions and interdisciplinary projects that are context-specific, with a focus on process. His recent projects span orchestral and electronic music, film, sculpture, large-scale installation, and sound works.
He has collaborated with a wide range of partners including architects, scientists, engineers, animators, and programmers, and has received awards and commissions from a broad range of organisations, including Arts Council England, Ordnance Survey, Cancer Research UK, The Arts & Humanities Research Council, Channel 4, and the Royal Academy of Engineers.
His PhD research explored connections between architectural contexts, sonic composition, and interdisciplinary art practice, focusing on rhythm, scale, and liminality.
Ed’s music projects have included recordings with Royal Northern Sinfonia and Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and his album ‘Phonautogram’ was described by The Wire as “A work of consummate craftsmanship, as detailed and delicate as an old fashioned timepiece.”
Nicholas Kirk founded NKA in 2011. The office is a design lead, RIBA Chartered Architectural Practice based in North London. NKA create buildings and spaces that are inspired by their context and culture to improve and enhance our everyday experience of the built environment.
The NKA design process involves testing out and prototyping ideas through drawing, consultation and model making. Research is a critical part of the practice for continuing development and growth. The practice are adept at communicating ideas through advanced 3D visualisations and computer modeling, 2D / 3D CAD and BIM alongside skilfully crafted hand sketches.
The practice’s first significant architectural project was at 76 Newington Green – a one off house that nestles neatly on a 4.5m plot between 2 period terraces in North London. The house was recently featured on the BBC programme The House that 100k Built as an exemplar building on a difficult site, that combines intelligent and delightful architecture on a shoestring budget
Nicky had previously collaborated with Tony Broomhead on architectural radio show Amenity Space on cult radio station Resonance 104.4FM. They created over 60 shows and it was not long before they were invited to work on a range of arts and architectural projects. Amenity Space then transformed in to a cutting edge, award winning architectural practice.
Tony is an award-winning architect, educator and an on-screen designer for the BBC. He has over 15 years’ experience of developing temporary structures that encourage engagement and interaction.
After completing his studies in architecture at the University of Sheffield in 2001 Tony worked for several practices before establishing Amenity Space, with Nicky Kirk in 2006. The practice specialised in architectural and artistic projects within the cultural sectors and included several collaborations with Ed Carter.
Tony has been working under the banner OS31 since 2014, focusing on light touch and sustainable design. He has won several high-profile competitions, that have been published internationally. His design for a temporary restaurant on a frozen river in Canada was voted as one of the top five pieces of Pop- up architecture in the world by the Architecture Review 2015. Clients have included, Grand Designs, Selfridges, Noma Copenhagen and the Royal Academy.
Since 2016 Tony has been contributing to The Dengineers TV series for CBBC as an on-screen designer. The programme helps children design and build their own dens/structures/retreats and allows the to audience gain an understanding of the build process. The series reaches over 1 million viewers in the UK and is distributed worldwide. Dengineers has been voted Best Children’s Factual TV Programme by BAFTA 2019, and The Royal Television Society 2021.
Structural Engineering by Price & Myers
Fabrication by MorFab
Fabrication of sails by Jamie Fry
Engagement workshops delivered by Amanda Drago of Green Croft Arts
Chime Hanging by Ken Brown, Pete Evans, Matt Stokes and John Smith
Produced by Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival
APERTURA Volunteer Invigilator Opportunity
We are looking for volunteers to support APERTURA through its exhibition period. Find out more by clicking the button below.
DON’T MISS
The Future Belongs To What Was As Much As What Is by Morag Myerscough at Housesteads Roman Fort
Make the most of your visit and take in not one, but two contemporary artworks celebrating Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival.
English Heritage has commissioned a new artwork by internationally renowned British artist and designer Morag Myerscough. The work is a contemporary and colourful take on the original Roman gatehouse at Housesteads Roman Fort – one of the Wall’s best preserved and most important sites.
The work will be open for the public to enjoy from Saturday 30 July until Sunday 30 October.