Public Art in Shetland Museum & Archives
Shetland Receivers/Hay's Dock
Art in Situ
Textiles on Tables
Art on Site
Funding
Shetland Amenity Trust have commissioned over 60 individual artworks as part of its Shetland Museum & Archives Public Art Project at Hay’s Dock in Lerwick.
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The work ranges from crafts and drawing to film and internet projects. The art is both made IN Shetland, showcasing the work of Shetland artists and makers, and made FOR Shetland, bringing artwork by international artists made especially for Shetland to Shetland. |
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Artists have made work throughout the building and dock, some even appear in the museum galleries alongside the artefacts and in the Archives searchroom. All the artists have made work based on Shetland’s culture and heritage. The project has taken an innovative approach to the selection of fixtures and fittings in the building. Where possible ways have been found to showcase creativity rather than buying items ‘off the shelf’.
Several community art projects have also taken place. These included Extreme Redd Up a project that saw local young people combining kayaking and abseiling with making art from beach bruck (Shetland dialect for rubbish), a series of Artwalks and a Shetland/Faroe collaborative project based on making art and design work from the raw produce of sheep, such as wool, horn and bone.
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The community projects were co-ordinated in partnership with other local bodies such as Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Arts and Shetland College. |
The outdoor artwork installed at Hay’s Dock is by artist Lulu Quinn. At first glance this unusual installation resembles four small satellite dishes mounted on poles outside the main entrance. However, get up closer and you can hear strange voices, songs and whisperings coming from inside each of the dishes.
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These sound recordings of historical and contemporary life in Shetland change with the wind speed and direction. An anemometer continuously feeds live readings to the receivers. On a calm day long clips of conversation and music are played but as the wind becomes stronger the clips become shorter. When the wind reaches gale force a constant noise can be heard as short clips merge into one another. |
There are over 300 recordings which were made in Shetland during 2006 and sourced from the Shetland Archives.
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The receiver posts also contain a blue LED light illuminating clouds of Shetland wool throughout the late afternoon and night. These turn off and on in response to wind speed. |
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The receiver dishes are constructed out of Shetland serpentine, granite and shell.
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One of the most innovative aspects of the public art project is the incorporation of artwork into the permanent galleries alongside artefacts and in the Archives searchroom. |
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Each of the artists selected for this project were given a brief that related to the displays. The work includes a Storytelling machine by Allistair Burt, a sound piece on a stairwell by Andy Ross, a multimedia work based on the Shetland Archives by Dan Norton and Gair Dunlop, a textile work sited in a drawer by Deirdre Nelson and Anne Eunson and a series of colourful carved works based on archives quotes by Mike McDonnell. |
The tables in Hay’s Dock Café Restaurant were made by Cecil Tait from Scalloway, Shetland. Using Ash for the main body of the table structure, he ingrained the legs with peat in order to bring out the grain of the wood. Peat was chosen as it is widely found and used in Shetland.
 
Thirty artists, designers and Shetland College students were commissioned to make artwork that was then inlaid into the tabletops.
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During the construction phase six artists and three poets were commissioned to make work about the past, present or future of Hay’s Dock, about the new Museum and Archives and about what it means to them and to Shetland. This project was entitled 'Art on Site' and images of the work were reproduced and shown on banners around the construction site. |
For the 'Art on Site' project, Mark Sinclair took documentary photographs of the entire construction process up until completion.
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There now number over 500 stunning images that are being displayed in a slideshow in the Museum & Archives auditorium as part of the opening celebrations. They provide Shetland with a contemporary visual archive of this historical project. |
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The project was funded by the National Lottery, through the Scottish Arts Council, and the The Esmeé Fairbairn Foundation. In addition Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Arts, LEADER+, Shetland College and HIE Shetland have contributed to individual projects. |
All images courtesy Shetland Amenity Trust. |