Visitors to 20-21 Visual Arts Centre are able to soak up a spectacular oil tanker truck sculpture as part of British contemporary artist, Dan Rawlings’ stunning exhibition.
The installation, called Future Returns, is Rawlings’ most ambitious work to date and can be enjoyed at the Scunthorpe-based gallery until 25 September 2021.
The centrepiece is a reclaimed DAF oil tanker truck, its steel body transformed with foliage created by the artist’s innovative freehand plasma cutting technique. Surrounding the truck, the gallery will be filled with sixteen tons of earth to create an imagined vision of a world where man’s impact is being slowly reclaimed by nature.
Future Returns is the latest not-to-be-missed experience among an extra special programme of events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the popular arts centre.
Celebrations got off to a stellar start earlier this year, as more than 4,400 people flocked to the gallery to marvel at Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon sculpture.
Now, Future Returns is ready to wow visitors.
The exhibition is in part inspired by North Lincolnshire’s past and present industrial heritage. Sharing his inspiration for creating the installation, Dan Rawlings said:
“The plants in the sculptures are an acknowledgement that heavy industry is the root of so much in our lives. Most of what we know and rely on grows out of it, yet so much of it remains unseen.
“Despite their awe-inspiring scale, and the many lives dedicated to working in them, many people have never seen steelworks, factories or coal yards, and do not consider their existence – and yet our whole way of life stems from them. I like to bring people’s attention to that, to make visible that truth. The foliage also draws attention to nature’s resilience and ability to find a way to thrive. Whatever we take from nature, it always finds a way to take it back.”
The council’s arts and heritage venues are inviting local people to share their views to help develop their programme further. Have your say on the offer at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Normanby Hall Country Park and North Lincolnshire Museum by completing the short survey
For up-to-date visiting times and booking information, visit 20-21 Visual Art Centre’s website. You can also stay up to date with the latest news by following the gallery on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo credit: Future Returns by Dan Rawlings. Image by Mark Bickerdike
