A new contemporary sculpture has been created by artist Joseph Hillier as a ‘gateway’ artwork at Ergo Park industrial development in Sheffield.
The new sculpture, sited at Drake House Close at the entrance of the new Ergo Park development in Sheffield is named The Sum of Our Parts. The artwork proposal was developed by the artist to achieve a striking sculptural form for the new development.
“Constructed from over a thousand individual particles of stainless steel this new work, ‘Sum of our parts’ takes the shape of a human head. I was interested in creating a sculpture which spoke of the history of Sheffield as a place where stainless steel was used to forge cutlery and the city’s identity, but also to look forward and suggest how, when we work together, we create a greater venture, a society, with humanity and purpose.” Artist, Joseph Hillier
The project originated from discussions between architects C4 Projects and Arts Consultant Matthew Jarratt who produced the artist’s brief and shortlist of leading sculptors. The project team identified artist Joseph Hillier as the project’s lead artist and felt his unique production process has resonance for the area, in terms of the stainless-steel material used in creating the sculpture. Sheffield, after all, continues to be known as ‘Steel City’ because it was the steel making capital of the world during the Industrial Revolution.
Ergo Park is the latest in an impressive number of prime warehouse developments by Aver, a joint venture between NFU Mutual and Ergo Real Estate, which spans 11 acres, totalling 191,500 sq ft. of prime industrial logistics space. Prominently located, Ergo Park is adjacent to the Drake House and Crystal Peaks Retail Parks in Waterthorpe, Sheffield. The scheme has been delivered by Total Developments and Pioneer.
Arts Consultant Matthew Jarratt said: “We wanted to commission a sculpture that was forward looking but had a link to the area’s industrial past. Joseph Hillier has produced some amazing sculptures around the UK, and it is really positive that the developers at Ergo Park have made such a strong commitment to the arts with this sculpture commission. We hope that it will become a well-known and interesting landmark for the people who work, live and shop in the local area.”
Leigh Burnett, Asset Manager, Ergo added, “Ergo are delighted to have this unique sculpture depicting the heritage of Sheffield at the entrance to Ergo Park, it is a real statement piece to be enjoyed by all.”
