Bicycle sculpture and portrait bench in Dumfries
We work with artists, schools and local communities to create and explore landmarks, environments and ideas that celebrate the surrounding areas, helping to create a strong sense of location.
This has resulted in a huge collection of public art and created special places that you can visit again and again by foot or bike.
Working with artists
We've worked with a wide variety of artists, when travelling along the Network you’ll find all sorts of art, particularly on our Art Trails. These include iconic earthworks and sculptures by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Tony Cragg.
Below is a selection of art projects we are proud to have made possible:
- Artist duo Liminal developed Tranquillity is a State of Mind, commissioned by us with support from The Wellcome Trust, investigating the perception of sound and the effect of unwanted sounds on an individual's psychology.
- United Visual Artists created 'Passage', a project where an array of sound emitting objects, triggered by the passage of the cyclist or pedestrian through Combe Down Tunnel, create a spatially distributed soundtrack.
- Video production specialists Suited & Booted ran a programme of film and animation workshops with young people from Bath and the surrounding area, resulting in a video, Two Tunnels Vision.
Art in the community
“ The Portrait Bench is the best thing about Kirkby's new traffic-free path! ”
We encourage people to take an active role in their environment and integrate artists to work with communities to improve their neighbourhoods alongside our Community Street Design team.
We have worked with communities across the UK who have nominated local people for the contribution they have made to local life, culture or history to become the figures on their local Portrait Bench.
“ When you walk you see more wildlife, things you wouldn’t see in a car. ”
In our Sensory Journeys project pupils took part in a variety of activities designed to heighten their sensory experiences and used GPS units to ‘tag’ important experiences on their journeys to school.
Artist Christian Nold then developed high-quality, large-scale Sensory Maps, incorporating the pupils’ thoughts, feelings, observations and drawings about their local area.
Art that paves the way
We've created some amazing artworks that are functional as well as being great to look at. These include our wonderful bridges, gateways, seating and way markers. Some of the most interesting and unique have been designed by artists or local communities, from beautiful bridges to our special benches carved with intricate details of local butterfly species.
