- Venue
- Leicester Museum And Art Gallery
- Starts
- Monday, August 17, 2020
- Ends
- Sunday, November 15, 2020
- Address
- 53 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7EA
- Location
- East Midlands
- Organiser
- Leicester Museum And Art Gallery
Art and WW2 History Combine For New Exhibition ‘Finding The Fallen’ At Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.
A brand new exhibition telling the story of Artist Loz Atkinson’s Great Grandfather Arthur Pinder. Recounting his death in WW2 and her journey up an Italian mountain to create art in his memory., launches alongside the reopening of Leicester Museum And Art Gallery.
In July 2019 Artist Loz Atkinson, accompanied by Italian Aeronautical Archeologist Francesco Sabini and Photographer Zoe Childerley climbed Monte Zatta in Northern Italy. Exploring the crash site of her Great Grandfather’s Halifax MkII JP237 Bomber, where he and the entire crew perished on 24th June 1944.
Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2, the exhibition explores the universal need to connect with our personal heritage. Discovering how objects turn into relics and hold powerful memories, Loz shows how with time these objects can convey new meaning despite being made from the debris of the past. Artworks on show include recovered WW2 Halifax aircraft parts such as a Bristol Hercules engine reworked into sculpture. Also on display are artworks created directly into the landscape of the mountain and wreckage collected from the crash site.
The exhibition supported by Arts Council England, is a dynamic display combining Contemporary art and History to explore ideas of sacrifice and remembrance. Telling the story of Arthur and his duties during the War as a member of Special Operation Executive 148 squadron in the RAF. The exhibition goes on to show the activities, which took place on the mountain including searching for wreckage from the aircraft. Pieces found on Loz’s journey will also be on show include airframe and fuselage pieces and heartbreakingly personal items from the crew such as a heel from one of their boots and buttons from their uniforms.
Loz says, “This project has been hugely personal, but I hope will inspire people to delve into their own heritage to discover incredible stories within their own past or set out on their own adventure to inspire future generations.” She continues “The work is made more poignant being shown in what continues to be a politically turbulent time across the globe. The work raises issues of how we commemorate the sacrifices of individuals without glorifying war. Highlighting if we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.”
Finding The Fallen – A Pilgrims Journey Of Remembrance opens to the public on the 17th August and runs until the 15th November at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. Entry is free. Booking is essential. For more information please visit https://www.leicestermuseums.org/VE75FindingTheFallen to book tickets visit https://leicestermuseums.arttickets.org.uk/leicester-museum-art-gallery/2020-08-17-leicester-museum-and-gallery-timed-tickets
