Latest news with #YinkaShonibare
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
A Migration Museum Opens in a Hotbed of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
A few years after Frank Kanhai emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands in 1975, his aunt came to live with him. Despite being unable to speak Dutch, she was still determined to make the six-hour round trip to the nearest Surinamese supermarket. So 14-year-old Frank wrote a short note she could show the bus driver. Today, that note is on display alongside work by Willem De Kooning and Grayson Perry at a new museum in Rotterdam dedicated to human migration. Opened on May 15 by the Netherlands' Queen Máxima, the Fenix Museum is an eye-catching addition to the city's skyline. A 30-meter-high silver staircase, made of 4,000 square meters of polished steel and nicknamed 'the tornado,' erupts from the roof of the former warehouse, an architectural testament to the twists and turns of the migrant journey. Inside, there are works from Syrian artist Abdalla Al Omari and British-Nigerian Yinka Shonibare. One room features a labyrinth made of 2,000 suitcases sourced from migrants to and from Rotterdam.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In Pictures: Final five designs shortlisted for Queen Elizabeth II national memorial
Five shortlisted designs for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II have been unveiled. The monument, which will provide the public with a permanent memorial to the UK's longest-reigning monarch, will be located in St James's Park, close to Buckingham Palace in central London. The public can view the proposals and offer feedback until 19 May via the online exhibition managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants. According to the Cabinet Office, the construction budget will be between £23m and £46m, depending on the selected design. Public funds will pay for the memorial, and from the various submissions, the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee will select a winner. The winning concept is expected to be unveiled next year, as 2026 would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday year. Here are the five shortlisted Queen memorial designs: A 'tranquil family' of royal gardens inspired by John Nash's original landscape of the park, linked by a natural stone tessellated path by Lord Foster of Foster + Partners with artist Yinka Shonibare, ecologist Professor Nigel Dunnett and landscape architect Michel Desvigne Paysagiste. Other elements include a statue of the Queen alongside Philip on Birdcage Walk, a wind sculpture for reflection, audio installations of the Queen's voice, a digital conservatory and a unity bridge. A memorial walk inspired by the idea of 'togetherness' with 70 lily pad stepping stones by Heatherwick Studio with sculptor and ceramicist Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup. At the centre of the bridge is a limestone sculpture of the late Queen, protected by a giant canopy of eight carved sculptural lily pads, with the stone chosen because it will 'age with dignity'. An innovative stone bridge featuring a cascade of water onto the lake, to represent the late Queen as the bedrock of the nation, has been designed by J&L Gibbons with production designer Michael Levine, and William Matthews Associates. It aims to capture a "meandering flow of geology carrying people through an ephemeral choreography of blossoming and colour beneath the high tree canopy" and includes glades to invite "forest bathing in the heart of the city". An exact cast of an "awe-inspiring" oak from Windsor Great Park, representing the late Queen's strength and endurance and symbolising the monarchy is the central focus of a design by Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects and artist Adam Lowe of Factum Are. The tree would stand on a plinth in the lake, with a curved stone bridge as a viewing platform. There would also be a memorial path featuring bronze casts of significant objects from the late Queen's life and a "sonic soundscape" of memories from those she impacted. A thread of pathways and landscapes "gently woven through the natural fabric" of the park with a pair of "elegant bridges" have been proposed by WilkinsonEyre with artists Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clarke. The thread, with symbolic spaces for reflection, focuses on seven themes of the late Queen's life - reign, faith, Commonwealth, values, nature, family, and Prince Philip. The proposed designs are available to view . The final design will be submitted to the King and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for approval.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Giant lily pads and a bronze tree are among designs for Queen Elizabeth II's memorial
What could be a better memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, than a pod of faintly psychedelic giant lily pads? Perhaps a big bronze tree or a recording of the late monarch's voice. All those ideas feature among the five finalists for a permanent London monument to Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. The government is asking for public feedback on an online exhibition of the designs that opened Wednesday. Competition organizers put out the call to designers for 'an emotionally powerful place and a space for pause and reflection.' The memorial will be built near Buckingham Palace in St. James's Park, an immaculately landscaped green space known for its waterfowl-filled lake, resident pelicans and neatly pruned flower beds. Computer-generated images of the five finalists show a park transformed. The entry by architect Thomas Heatherwick's Heatherwick Studio includes a canopy of giant limestone lily pads with twisting stems towering over a statue of the queen. Another concept is 'a tranquil family of royal gardens' linked by 'a natural stone tessellated path' designed by architect Norman Foster's firm Foster + Partners, with a rippling 'wind sculpture' by artist Yinka Shonibare and audio installations featuring Elizabeth's voice. The other concepts include a bedrock bridge – because 'the queen was the nation's bedrock' – and forested glades by landscape architects J&L Gibbons; a memorial by garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith centered on a bronze cast of an ancient oak tree; and a thread of pathways and landscapes 'gently woven through the natural fabric' of the park by architects WilkinsonEyre. The queen's former private secretary Robin Janvin, who is chairing the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, said the goal is to create 'a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honors the life of Queen Elizabeth II.' 'Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations,' he said. Separately, the committee will select an artist to create a sculpture of Elizabeth as part of the final design. Several of the shortlisted proposals feature statues of the queen on horseback. The public consultation closes on May 19 and the committee is expected to announce the winning bid in the summer. The final design is scheduled to be submitted to King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for approval in 2026, the 100th anniversary of the queen's birth. Building the memorial is expected to cost between 23 million pounds and 46 million pounds ($30 million and $60 million), the government said. ____
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Giant lily pads and a bronze tree are among designs for Queen Elizabeth II's memorial
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] LONDON (AP) — What could be a better memorial to Queen Elizabeth II , Britain's longest-reigning monarch , than a pod of faintly psychedelic giant lily pads? Perhaps a big bronze tree or a recording of the late monarch's voice. All those ideas feature among the five finalists for a permanent London monument to Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. The government is asking for public feedback on an online exhibition of the designs that opened Wednesday. Competition organizers put out the call to designers for 'an emotionally powerful place and a space for pause and reflection.' The memorial will be built near Buckingham Palace in St. James's Park, an immaculately landscaped green space known for its waterfowl-filled lake, resident pelicans and neatly pruned flower beds. Computer-generated images of the five finalists show a park transformed. The entry by architect Thomas Heatherwick's Heatherwick Studio includes a canopy of giant limestone lily pads with twisting stems towering over a statue of the queen. Another concept is 'a tranquil family of royal gardens' linked by 'a natural stone tessellated path' designed by architect Norman Foster's firm Foster + Partners, with a rippling 'wind sculpture' by artist Yinka Shonibare and audio installations featuring Elizabeth's voice. The other concepts include a bedrock bridge – because 'the queen was the nation's bedrock' – and forested glades by landscape architects J&L Gibbons; a memorial by garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith centered on a bronze cast of an ancient oak tree; and a thread of pathways and landscapes 'gently woven through the natural fabric' of the park by architects WilkinsonEyre. The queen's former private secretary Robin Janvin, who is chairing the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, said the goal is to create 'a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honors the life of Queen Elizabeth II.' 'Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations,' he said. Separately, the committee will select an artist to create a sculpture of Elizabeth as part of the final design. Several of the shortlisted proposals feature statues of the queen on horseback. The public consultation closes on May 19 and the committee is expected to announce the winning bid in the summer. The final design is scheduled to be submitted to King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for approval in 2026, the 100th anniversary of the queen's birth. Building the memorial is expected to cost between 23 million pounds and 46 million pounds ($30 million and $60 million), the government said. ____ Find more of AP's coverage at
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Statues, bridges, soundscapes: Queen Elizabeth II memorial designs unveiled
How best to capture the enduring essence of Queen Elizabeth II is the question behind innovative designs shortlisted for a national memorial planned for Britain's longest-serving monarch. An exact cast of a Windsor oak tree, a giant canopy of stone lilies and a 'graceful and strong' stone bridge symbolising her as bedrock of the nation are among shortlisted designs on which the public is now being consulted. Other ideas include a statue of the late queen next to Prince Philip, an audio installation featuring her voice, and a 'tranquil family' of romantic royal gardens inspired by the Georgian architect John Nash. The memorial is planned for St James's Park, close to Buckingham Palace in the heart of London. The public is now being asked for feedback on the shortlist in an online consultation by Malcolm Reading Consultants running until 19 May, with images of the memorials issued for illustrative purposes at this stage and a sculptor to be appointed later. Three of the designs feature the late queen riding a horse, reflecting her enthusiasm for equestrianism. The five shortlisted are: A 'tranquil family' of royal gardens linked by a natural stone path, by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners with the artist Yinka Shonibare, the ecologist Prof Nigel Dunnett and the landscape architect Michel Desvigne Paysagiste. It includes a statue of the queen alongside Philip, a wind sculpture for reflection, audio installations of the queen's voice, a digital conservatory and a unity bridge. A computer-generated image of a statue of the late queen on horseback, part of the Norman Foster-led team's design. Photograph: Foster + Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA A memorial walk inspired by the idea of 'togetherness' with 70 lily pad stepping stones, by Heatherwick Studio with the sculptor and ceramicist Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup. At the centre of the bridge is a limestone sculpture of the late queen, protected by a giant canopy of eight sculptural lilies. A ground-level view of the lilies structure at the centre of the Heatherwick Studio proposal. Photograph: Heatherwick Studio and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA A stone bridge over soil, tree roots and water to represent Elizabeth as the 'bedrock of the nation', by J&L Gibbons with the production designer Michael Levine and William Matthews Associates. The plan includes glades to invite 'forest bathing in the heart of the city'. Three of the designs feature the late queen riding a horse, including this statue by the J&L Gibbons team. Photograph: J&L Gibbons and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA An exact cast of an oak from Windsor Great Park, representing strength and endurance and symbolising the monarchy, by Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects and the artist Adam Lowe of Factum Are. A memorial path would incorporate bronze casts of significant objects from the late queen's life and a 'sonic soundscape' of memories. Tom Stuart-Smith's team propose a cast of an oak from Windsor Great Park. Photograph: Tom Stuart-Smith/PA A thread of pathways and landscapes of the park with a pair of 'elegant bridges' have been submitted by WilkinsonEyre with artists Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clarke. A pair of elegant bridges are part of the plan submitted by WilkinsonEyre. Photograph: WilkinsonEyre and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA The queen's former private secretary Lord Janvrin, the chair of the Queen Elizabeth memorial committee, said the designs needed to 'capture the essence' of memories of the late monarch for future generations. He said it was 'only fitting' for members of the public to express their views. A panel of committee members will select the winning concept and work with the team on the final design, which is expected to be unveiled in 2026. The final design will then be submitted to King Charles and the prime minister for approval.
