Arthur's Seat

Exmoor Residency

Caerdroia

mail@amculhane.co.uk

Between March 1997 and February 1998, Anne-Marie Culhane and Ben Phillips worked undercover in Hyde Park, Leeds producing a range of innovative and magical artworks which explore environmental art in an urban context. Once a month, the artists created a new work relating to the environment of the park, the changing seasons and human and animal activity within the park.

FRAGILE, includes reactions and responses to the work by the wide variety of park users. Many of the images lived, weathered and decayed in the park, others were removed, destroyed or collected and took on new lives. For example, in April a tree in the centre of the park was filled with golden apples. As the fruits fell from the tree they were collected by inquisitive passers by. In July, cherries were harvested from trees in the park, made into wine, bottled and buried. An antique map and child's poem pointed the way to this buried treasure. FRAGILE is a renewed exploration of the natural life cycle and a reflection on how we relate to an urban green space. FRAGILE plays on the boundary between life and art.

In April 1998 there was an exhibition in Hyde Park Pavilion which was opened specifically for FRAGILE. Objects, images, film footage and stories were revealed. FRAGILE toured to the Vorwerk Gallery in Hamburg The Orangery, Holland Park, London and Gallery Oldham funded by Yorkshire & Humberside Arts, The British Council and Leeds City Council.