Output details

Celestial Music

Site-specific commission: Permanent art installation as part of the re-development of Colston Hall, Bristol.

Brief Description

Brennand-Wood was appointed Lead Artist for the £2.2 million extension of Colston Hall, designed by London architect Levitt Bernstein, advising and developing visual solutions for the new foyer-performance space and for Bar 2. Brennand-Wood was invited due to his track-record as a consultant for Public Art Works, including Essex County Architects (Tabor High School) which received the Art for Architecture, Royal Society of Arts prize, 1990; and the interdisciplinary arts program for ‘Ocean’, Central Hall Trust, London, which provided the catalyst for the Colston Hall project.

Research Rationale

Celestial Music was based on research into the history and cultural role of Colston Hall.

The work represents the (celectial) constellation of musical genres, mapped to indicate musical connections and hybridization. It explores the duality of terms, such as chart (music composition / astrological map) and star (musician/heavenly grouping). The work references 3 iconic musical storage formats, the 12-inch vinyl album, the single and CD; and it reflects the diversity of performers who have played at Colston Hall throughout the years.

Strategies Undertaken

The Installation utilized over 3500 metal music badges each of which was embedded into 234 water jet cut metal discs, in aluminum, copper, steel and bronze attached to a painted wall surface. LED’s further enhanced the mapping reference and allowed the viewer to interact with the work, tracing musical ‘routes’ and cross cultural connections. The influence of Lace and Mapping are both strong components of the overall composition. The work was developed in conjunction with the main contractors and architectural/design teams and as such is a good example of an integrated philosophical and constructional collaboration.