Series of sculptures set to be unveiled to replace much-loved Barbara Hepworth work which was stolen from Dulwich Park

 
Three Perpetual Chords: the new sculptures will be unveiled in Dulwich Park later this month (Picture: conradshawcross.com)
Alexandra Rucki10 April 2015

A new series of sculptures are being unveiled next month to replace a much-loved Barbara Hepworth monument stolen from Dulwich Park in 2011.

The sculptures, named Three Perpetual Chords, have been created by Conrad Shawcross and will form a trail in the northern end of the park.

Hepworth’s creation Two Forms Divided Circle was cut from its plinth in December 2011 by suspected scrap metal thieves.

Mr Shawcross, the youngest living Royal Academician, was commissioned by Southwark Council in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society to create the replacement piece after winning a competition.

The sculpture draws on the artist’s ongoing study of harmonics and represent the octave, the fifth and the fourth within the Western harmonic scale.

The knot-like sculptures have been cast in spheroidal cast iron to create the “public legacy”.

Mr Shawcross said: “It has been a great pleasure to make a new, permanent commission for Dulwich Park.

“Three Perpetual Chords are a counterpoint to a traditional civic sculpture in that the loops invite approach, play and physical interaction.

Stolen sculpture: Two Forms Divided Circle was cut from its plinth in December 2011

“These knot-like forms host a void within them and this is a subtle reference to Hepworth’s work, in which the hole is ubiquitous. I hope they become meeting points, romantic destinations, and encourage playfulness while remaining beguiling and provoking figures on the horizon.”

The sculptures will be unveiled during a ceremony in Dulwich Park on April 18, including a performance from the London Contemporary Orchestra society and light refreshments.

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