Katrina Palmer’s HELLO to become permanent sculpture

March 4, 2022

Originally commissioned in partnership between Waterfronts (England’s Creative Coast) and Estuary 2021 (Metal), HELLO sculpture by Katrina Palmer was intended to stay in place for six months. It’s now been confirmed to become a permanent sculpture in Southend and will be looked after by Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Estuary 2021 took place between Saturday 22 May and Sunday 13 June, featuring a mix of large-scale and intimate, visual art, literature and film. It was the second-edition of the expansive arts festival, and saw 208 thousand visitors across the 23 days, with 43% coming from outside of the region.

Andrea Cunningham, Director of Metal Southend, said: “I'm so delighted that ‘HELLO’, the sculpture by Katrina Palmer, will be a permanent feature at East Beach. It's a brilliant legacy for Estuary 2021. Artwork in the landscape like this can really change how we experience our public spaces. I have no doubt that ambitious and engaging public art will continue to be important to Southend – and even more so now that we are a city” - Andrea Cunningham, Director, Metal Southend

England’s Creative Coast was a landmark project connecting arts organisations across the South East region - Cement Fields, Creative Folkestone, De La Warr Pavilion, Hastings Contemporary, Metal, Towner Eastbourne and Turner Contemporary - to present outdoor art commissions ‘Waterfronts’ and lead the world’s first art GeoTour.

The HELLO sculpture, imagined and created by artist Katrina Palmer who works with stories that are distributed across found sites, audio environments, printed matter and performance, is set to be looked after by Southend-on-Sea City Council from March 2022.

Cllr Carole Mulroney, cabinet member for environment, culture, tourism and planning for Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “We are delighted that the appropriately named HELLO is the first official art installation for the country’s newest City. Whilst originally only planned for six months as part of the Estuary 2021 art festival, residents and visitors alike both enjoyed visiting HELLO and its immersive experience. I would like to thank Katrina and Metal for working with us to make this stunning installation a permanent fixture at East Beach.” - Cllr Carole Mulroney, Cabinet Member, Southend-on-Sea City Council.

The HELLO sculpture saw many gather and engage in discussion for the duration of Estuary 2021 and as part of England’s Creative Coast, and hopes to encourage more of the same as a permanent fixture in the city’s landscape.

HELLO is located on East Beach at Shoeburyness. It is a large emphatic concrete form based on a sound mirror (also known as an acoustic mirror). Sound mirrors dotted the English coast and were part of an inter-war years pre-radar enemy aircraft early-warning system. Although related to a now defunct defence technology, this is a counterfactual historic folly close by to MOD ruins of that same period. The sign HELLO on the mirror’s dish subverts its original intention, transforming it from an object of defence to a sculptural message of welcome that faces out towards Europe.

Katrina Palmer works with stories that are distributed across found sites, audio environments, printed matter and performance. Attentive to uncertainties, bodily vulnerabilities and insecure environments, these situated narratives invite the audience to consider objects that are indicated, but not fully present. The subject in these projects is typically on the edge of existence, reliant on emotions, instincts and urges, looking for signs, and conscious of forming part of the real or imagined landscape. The articulated exploration of material circumstances locates an expanded conceptualisation of sculpture in narrative. The site of the act of writing and the process of attempting to realise and reformulate ideas, is explored as part of this work. Katrina Palmer was born in London, where she continues to live and work. Her solo exhibitions include: Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2018), Brotherton Library, University of Leeds (2017), Henry Moore Institute, Leeds (2015) and Artangel (2015). Among her publications are The Dark Object (Book Works: London, 2010) and ‘Absalon’s Cells’ in The Object (Documents of Contemporary Art series, Whitechapel Gallery/MIT, 2014).

Estuary 2021 was an ambitious, highly visible and transformational programme of work, linked to an innovative skills programme delivered through a wide range of arts and agency partnerships across the region. It is made possible through Creative Estuary, an ambitious long-term project to develop the Thames Estuary into the world’s largest creative corridor; a world leader for the creative and cultural industries. Estuary 2021 is led by a partnership between estuary-based arts organisations, Metal (South Essex) and Cement Fields (North Kent).

Metal was founded by Jude Kelly CBE in 2002 working with former Artistic Director and CEO, Colette Bailey since its inception. Metal provides innovative, multi-disciplinary residencies and development opportunities for artists from the UK and overseas, from spaces in Southend on Sea, Liverpool and Peterborough. Interested in how artistic process, and the practice of artists can input into, and influence social, economic and political issues of the day, Metal works with artists, educators, communities, individuals, businesses and agencies across all sectors to create a wide range of activities and projects that include residencies, exhibitions, commissions, festivals, performance, talks, workshops and publications. Estuary 2021 is delivered from Metal’s Southend site and team. Metal is supported using public funds by Arts Council England, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and many other partners. www.metalculture.com / @MetalSouthend

England’s Creative Coast was a landmark project that connected the landscape and arts organisations across the South East coast. Led by Turner Contemporary and Visit Kent, this new cultural travel experience saw Cement Fields, Creative Folkestone, the De La Warr Pavilion, Hastings Contemporary, Metal, Towner Eastbourne and Turner Contemporary join forces for the first time to present 'Waterfronts' — seven outdoor art commissions by leading contemporary artists — and the world's first ever art GeoTour. https://www.englandscreativecoast.com/