On Air, a gigantic, vibrant image created by children
from All Souls Primary School in Westminster, goes on display on BBC
Broadcasting House in London's Regent Street from today, Tuesday 27
July 2004.
The brightly coloured artwork, 22 metres x 15.4 metres, and surely
the biggest digital image currently on display in London, will cover
the 'prow' of the BBC's iconic building until exterior restoration work
is complete in September 2004.
On Air springs from the BBC's collaboration with local All Souls Primary
School and the artists' group Cloth of Gold.
Children in Year 5 (9-10 years) were asked to explore how broadcasting
has changed since BBC Broadcasting House opened its doors in 1932, and
to think about what broadcasting means to them now in their world and
their times.
Pupils conjured up their reactions in a range of visual collages manipulated
on a computer.
The result is an explosion of colour, shape and line - archetypal
images of the building, its radio mast and Eric Gill's famous statue
of The Sower in the foyer of the building, combine with colour waves,
body shapes and the children's interpretation of the five senses.
The children's collages were curated by artists from the Cloth of Gold
group into one integrated image.
The whole project was co-ordinated by BBC Learning's digital centre,
21CC.
The artwork is the fifth and final work to occupy the BBC Broadcasting
House site since July 2003 as part of a series of temporary installations
by artists responding to the theme of broadcasting.
The first was Signal by Fiona Rae, the second was the winning entry
by 9-year-old Leo Thomson from a nationwide Blue Peter competition,
the third a combination of sound and image by William Furlong called
Acts Of Inscribing and the fourth, Kerfuffle by Liz Rideal.
The BBC Broadcasting House initiative is part of a wider BBC Public
Art Programme which aims to inspire audiences all round the UK to engage
with art through BBC broadcasts, buildings and wider community partnerships.
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