Extramuros 2007 event - art outside the walls

An international Launch celebrating the works from artists from several european countries was held at Ellesmere on Wednesday 28 March 2007.

Extramuros 2007 – Art Outside the Walls, is a major European touring exhibition of sculpture, artistic expression, communities and exploration of culture between the rural areas of Shropshire in the UK, Andalucia and Asturias in Spain, and Aderes in Portugal.

The project takes visual arts beyond conventional art spaces, such as a gallery space, to places where it can be accessed and enjoyed by a much wider and more disparate audience. Each piece that has been commissioned tells a unique story about the part of the world that it has come from.

Ellesmere’s beautiful and imposing Mere provided the breathtakingly stunning backdrop for the 12 highly distinctive, diverse and thought-provoking sculptures by artists from each of the European countries involved in the cultural exchange. All pieces of art sit uniquely in juxtaposition against the prehistoric Mere environment.

The exhibition is the result of a very successful partnership between the three countries. ‘Extramuros’ is a Spanish word which literally translated becomes ‘art outside walls’ and will spend three months in the UK before travelling to its partner countries through 2007 to 2008. The three British works will then return to Ellesmere in the spring of 2008 for permanent installation at the Mere.

The action packed day saw dignitaries from all three countries descend on Ellesmere and began with an exclusive seminar at Ellesmere College titled 'Commissioning Art and Ideas for the Landscape'.

The Extramuros - Art Outside the Walls exhibition was launched by representatives of each region at 3pm at the Boat House by the Mere.

For more information on this event, please follow the link on this page.