History of artistic design
#architecture #inflatable #installation #landscapes #public art #sculpture #Steve Messam
“Crested” (2023), The Hague, Netherlands. All images © Steve Messam, shared with permission
Whether breathing new life into abandoned structures in vast landscapes or drawing attention to unassuming urban elements, Steve Messam provokes shifts in perspective and new ways of seeing our surroundings. The County Durham-based artist creates site-specific inflatable installations that recontextualize ruins, statues or majestic architecture into temporary public sculptures. Working internationally, many of his projects also focus on locations around his home in the north of England, drawing attention to landscapes rich in history, the remnants of which are easy to overlook.
Messam plays with the concepts of visual cues and follies in his series Architect of the Ruins, highlighting a handful of dilapidated remains around Weardale and Teesdale, ranging from WWII pillboxes to disused railway bridges and crumbling industrial remains. “By highlighting these often overlooked structures, the project aims to reveal the layers of narrative that make up the history of the landscape, from mining and agriculture to the transformative effect of railways and the role of landowners,” he said.
In another recent work, ‘Belltower’, the artist draws attention to Ushaw’s recognizable House Bell Turret in Durham, which has ‘more Pugin architecture than you can wave a Gothic stick’, says Messam . “I wanted to install a piece that would act as a silhouette to what already exists and create homage to some of the site’s incredible neo-Gothic architecture.”
“Belltower” (2020), Ushaw Historic House and Gardens, Durham, UK
Opting for a more modern canvas, Messam created “Crested” – part of Blow Up Art Den Haag—above a contemporary entrance to an underground car park, playing with language and form to create an abstract, pointed crown. His installations for last fall’s program interpreted historical landmarks, and this year he was keen to reframe something that was clearly not historical. “A crest is something you have on a bird – something above a head – but it’s also the whiteness of a wave when it breaks,” he says. “There’s nothing more “not worth noting” than an entrance to an underground car park.” By installing massive red spikes atop a functional building designed to blend in, Messam gives it “its moment”, turning an unassuming structure into a focal point.
Blow Up Art Den Haag continues until May 28, and the series Met at Bicester Village remains visible until June. It also has four new pieces at Clerkenwell Design Week later in the month, and the National Railway Museum in York will unveil a new permanent installation in July. See more work on his website, Instagram, and a growing archive of projects on Vimeo.
“Cottage” (2022), Killhope Lead Mining Museum, County Durham, UK
Part of ‘Architect of Ruins’ (2020), Weardale and Teesdale, County Durham, UK
“Cottage” (2022), Killhope Lead Mining Museum, County Durham, UK
“Star” (2022), Killhope Lead Mining Museum, County Durham, UK
Part of ‘Architect of Ruins’ (2020), Weardale and Teesdale, County Durham, UK
“Belltower” (2020), Ushaw Historic House and Gardens, Durham, UK
Part of ‘Architect of Ruins’ (2020), Weardale and Teesdale, County Durham, UK
“Bungalow” (2023), Sassoon Docks, Mumbai, India
Part of ‘Encounters’ (2023), Bicester Village, UK
#architecture #inflatable #installation #landscapes #public art #sculpture #Steve Messam
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