Change
"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge..."
Change is an installation artwork made out of large mirrors shaped like natural forms on the walls of the Old Fire Station reception. Artists Rachel Barbaresi and Emma Reynard worked with people living in nearby hostels to create the piece, looking at bringing the natural world into an industrial style of building.
The group spent time in the Oxford Botanic Gardens doing workshops, using a range of techniques including screen printing. Participants created shapes based on what they observed in the gardens.
Influenced by the screen printed pieces created by Crisis artists, Rachel and Emma went on to transpose the images into steel cuts and then, as a group, they decided how to arrange final pieces on the wall.
The piece was unveiled as part of the building's opening ceremony in November 2011.
The installation
Evaluation
What impact did Change have?
One of the participants went on to do an Art Foundation Course, followed by a degree in Sculpture in London.
Another participant, who was aged over 70, had lived in Oxford all his life and was now in a hostel, had never heard of the Oxford Botanic Garden before and was so impressed that he bought a season ticket to be able to go back.
Change blog
Follow the creation and installation process documented in this blog by Rachel and Emma.
Funding
Change was commissioned by Old Fire Station, funded by Oxford City Council and project managed by Lucy Phillips.