Moments, the Bury St Edmunds contemporary arts exhibition, featuring such leading names Banksy and Tracey Emin, which was due to open in February, has been put back until this summer to comply with Covid-19 restrictions.
The exhibition, put together to celebrate the very best in modern British art, is being hosted by Moyse’s Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds, in association with Essex-based Brandler Galleries, and brings together work by such cutting-edge artists as Damien Hirst, Kaws, Pure Evil, Connor Brothers and Rachel List.
Amongst the highlights will be a few artworks by Banksy, including his ‘Heart Boy’, which was originally painted on a wall in Islington, London in 2009, but has never been exhibited in the UK before. Some of the artworks and prints will be available for purchase.
The exhibition, which will be of national importance and interest, is a major coup for the team at the Moyse’s Hall Museum.
It is hoped that the groundbreaking exhibition will play a major role in helping the town recover from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. Even with some restrictions, this exhibition could attract significant cultural tourism from outside of the West Suffolk area.
The ‘Moments’ exhibition will now open on Sunday May 2 and run for five months until Thursday, September 30.
The showcase will be supplemented by a range of workshops, live art demonstrations, artist talks and pop-up activities themed around the concept of ‘moments’. Some will be suitable for school and college students while others will be designed to link up with local community art groups to offer workshops for all ages and levels of experience.
These activities will take place at various locations around the town including The Apex entertainment centre.
The exhibition will be launched on Saturday May 1 with ‘Art at Night’, a special invitation only preview which will be attended by renowned artist Rachel List, who gained prominence during the first lockdown with her painting ‘NHS Angel’. Rachel will be finishing a new piece of work for inclusion in the exhibition, which will be kept on permanent display at Moyse’s Hall Museum.
Together with support from West Suffolk College and University of Suffolk, Moyse’s Hall Museum and Brandler Galleries will be seeking West Suffolk’s next great artist through a competition sponsored by the Friends of Moyse’s Hall and Burnett Barker Solicitors.
An art trail is also being planned to view installations around Bury St Edmunds such as in The Apex, Charter Square and Abbey Gardens.
Admission into ‘Moments’ will be with a pre-booked, timed ticket. Prices will be £5 for adults, £3 concessions and children aged 5-16 years and £15 for a family (2+3). These can be purchased online, in person at The Apex or by telephoning The Apex box office on 01284 758000.
Covid-19 measures in place at the time will be followed including social distancing, track and trace and the wearing of masks.
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