Last night I went to the preview of Laury Dizengremel’s sculptures at Broomhill Art Hotel (Nr Barnstaple, N.Devon). She was recently commissioned by the ATP, governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, to create sculptures of the top eight tennis players in the world as “Tennis Terracotta Warriors”. After being displayed at the Tennis Masters Cup venue in Shanghai, China, the sculptures were transported to Wimbledon Museum where they are now on display. Other major credits include public sculptures in Ireland, Honduras, France, Vietnam and China, as well as busts of John Travolta, Chick Corea and Isaac Hayes. Link to: Terracotta Army visit at British Museum .

Laury Dizengremel’s installation at Broomhill Art Hotel

Laury has produced an installation for the fantastic grounds of the hotel for 2008, approximately 85 figures on platforms are located on the flood plain of the Bradiford river. The installation of sculptures takes its audience on a journey with the “Artists of the Silk Road” – these are the faceless artists and craftsmen who made an anonymous contribution to the rich and diverse wealth of art, architecture, sculpture etc along these commercial highways which went through Europe and Asia.She continues, “Although I have created them specifically for exhibition as a group installation at Broomhill, they are actually very much stand-alone pieces, so they can be acquired by various art collectors, and I hope they will travel far and wide! While my new “Artists” are still very much portrayed as unique, creative personae, each in their own individual universe, I had a burning desire to stage them into formal compositions that each tell their own little story. Of course I have my own stories for them (some compositions stage two “Artists”, some three, some five, and each one presents a different construct), but viewers will have the pleasure of imagining their own story – of that I am sure. Here three “Artists” walk in a line. There three others look up to the sky. And there a bunch of them stand listening to another “Artist” – but how attentive are they?”

“My imaginary artists – each and everyone one of them, are unique individuals. They are men and women, young and old. They are visionaries, communicators – exchangers of ideas, agents and promoters of understanding between cultures, individual interpreters and shapers of the spiritual, emotional, artistic and ethical values of our world. They are geniuses and they are human. Whether lead artists or simply skilled crafts folk, I have sought in them to embody all those whose spirit, mind and hand create wonders.”

‘Artists of the Silk Road’ will be open for public viewing from May 2008 onwards into 2009.

For further information contact: Broomhill Art Hotel: 01271 850262