BrumYODO and Birmingham Hippodrome are launching the stunning open air art installation In Memoriam by Luke Jerram in Birmingham on Saturday 8 May.
The artwork will be in Aston Park until Sunday, May 16, and can be viewed free of charge every day between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in accordance with COVID-19 security measures.
Memoriam includes 120 flags made from NHS sheets, arranged in the shape of a medical logo. In Memoriam is a temporary memorial for the public to visit and remember all those who died during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also pays homage to the NHS health and care workers who risked their lives during the pandemic.
Luke, who visited Aston Park before it opened, said, “It’s wonderful to see In Memoriam here in Birmingham – this is the first time we’ve got the artwork installed anywhere this year and this is also the debut of the new one NHS blue color. People will bring their personal and individual responses to the artwork and I hope it gives them a space to pause and reflect. “
Memoriam is the focus of this year’s A Matter of Life and Death Festival, an annual arts and culture event that aims to promote conversations about death and dying that is going on this year by the local organization BrumYODO in collaboration with the Birmingham Hippodrome Were called to life.
The festival also includes a program of online events and an invitation to attend remotely by creating a personalized In Memoriam flag. Groups including staff and patients in local hospitals and hospices, children of refugees visiting Ladywood Foodbank, community sewing networks and school children across Birmingham were busy making flags and posting them in an online gallery on the BrumYODO website.
Visitors to In Memoriam on Sunday 9 May will also have the opportunity to take part in outdoor flag making workshops with local artist Margaret Murray between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and contribute their flag to a community version of In Memoriam, which will be available for that day at Aston Park.
On Saturday, May 8th and Sunday, May 9th, Aston Hall will open its take-away Stable Yard Café and host a barbecue between 11am and 4pm.
In Memoriam is specifically designed to be presented in large open spaces to accommodate social distancing. With the expanse of space around the flags and a strong flow of air, the artwork is safe to view with people who can walk, stand, or sit in the middle.
BrumYODO and Birmingham Hippodrome worked with the Birmingham City Council to ensure a website that is both accessible and secure for visitors. The Aston Park site can be visited free of charge and parking is available.
In Memoriam in Birmingham is kindly endorsed by Arts Council England, Without Walls, Birmingham City Council, Aston Hall and A Natural Undertaking.
In memoriam by Luke Jerram was originally commissioned by the Weston Arts + Health Weekender. Supported by Without Walls and FESTIVAL.ORG. Informed by the Wellcome Trust-funded ‘Weather. Project under the direction of Dr. Cassie Phoenix at Durham University.
For more information, see https://brumyodo.org.uk/2021-in-memoriam and https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/in-memoriam/.
