Sir Peter Murray: Yorkshire Sculpture Park founder honoured at AI art installation at V&A Museum

He founded the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Bretton near Wakefield nearly 50 years ago and has seen it grown from strength to strength.

Now a UK-first unique AI art installation using brainwaves is being unveiled at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London today to honour Sir Peter and six other game changers in the arts industry including Sir Peter.

Sir Peter said: “Being nominated as a Game Changer is a fantastic recognition of everything the staff and trustees have achieved at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

“When I set out in 1977 to establish the park, we had a grant of £1,000 and no staff, but I was determined to create a place for people to enjoy sculpture in the open air from artists from all around the world.

“There are so many incredible artists whose work we have been able to display, including local Yorkshire artists Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Now, the park welcomes half a million visitors annually and contributes millions to the regional Yorkshire economy.”

Other art industry pioneers honoured include award-winning director Gurinder Chadha, whose films include Bend It Like Beckham, and two deaf entrepreneurs who founded Deaffest, a deaf-led film and television festival.

The new AI work is created using state-of-the-art cognitive technology. It uses the brainwaves of the seven game changers, who have had transformative impact across grassroots and iconic arts and film projects, to create a beautiful, ever-changing projection inspired by their journey, work, inspirations, creative processes and impact.

Reimagining the façade of the V&A’s Exhibition Road Courtyard building, the ‘Symphony of the Game Changers’ AI cognitive painting, is a UK-first artwork for Ouchhh Studio, who use technology to illuminate buildings across the world.

The art installation is part of the National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations to celebrate the achievements of remarkable people that have had transformative impact across arts and film over the past 30 years. The game changers have all been involved in projects which have received lottery funding.

The seven ‘Game Changers’ who inspired the artwork include Marc Brew, prolific choreographer and disabled dancer who rediscovered dance after being left with spinal cord damage following a car accident, and Marilyn Willrich and Nikki Stratton, deaf entrepreneurs who founded Deaffest, the UK’s leading Deaf-led Film & Arts Festival.

Darren Henley, Chair, UK National Lottery Forum and CEO of Arts Council England, said: “The National Lottery’s 30th birthday is a huge milestone, and an opportunity to celebrate all the fantastic, life-changing investments it has made over the past three decades.”