Partner Article

Metrocentre unveils new art commission

Gateshead’s famous shopping centre has been graced with a new artwork created by a Northumberland artist.

Colin Rose has worked as a sculptor for over 30 years, with UK commissions including ‘You’ at the Genome Centre, Cambridge and ‘Rain’ in Millennium Square, Sheffield.

The commission for Metrocentre’s newly developed yellow mall goes by the name ‘This & That’. The sculpture is made of two stainless steel cones, one suspended from the ceiling and the other rising from the floor. Each piece weighs approximately a tonne. Situated on the first floor near the restaurant cluster in Metrocentre’s new development which will be called ‘The Qube’, ‘This & That’ will create a main focus for the area.

Colin said: “I developed the work in response to the specific area and nature of the shopping mall - a place where people would be meeting and chatting. I wanted the work to have visual movement from the mall ceiling to the floor where the work, mirror polished, would reflect the location and shoppers. The title came from the idea of a dialogue between two pieces - a conversation, two similar elements side by side, thus ‘This & That’.”

Over the past twelve months Capital Shopping Centres has invested £45 million in developing the almost completed yellow mall. The first phase of the new mall, along with ‘This & That’ was officially launched earlier this week.

‘Metrocentre Qube’, as the area will be known, will be home to three new pieces of art. Each commission has been designed especially for Metrocentre, with the support of Gateshead Council and Arts and Business.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .