£2million bequest inspires new collection of art work

It was the £2 million bequest that triggered the major redevelopment of York Art Gallery.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Jul 2014, 06:10 BST
Paper artist Yvette Hawkins is pictured with a Japanese hand-bound book which incorporates the silkworm process. Pictures: SIMON HULMEPaper artist Yvette Hawkins is pictured with a Japanese hand-bound book which incorporates the silkworm process. Pictures: SIMON HULME
Paper artist Yvette Hawkins is pictured with a Japanese hand-bound book which incorporates the silkworm process. Pictures: SIMON HULME

Now the donation by Peter Madsen and his sister Karen, who left their estates to York Museums Trust in 2011, has inspired five artists to create new works exploring the inheritance of cultural values.

Finding the Value opens today at York St Mary’s, and the majority of the works will be for sale, with proceeds going towards the £8m redevelopment fund for York Art Gallery.

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The exhibition includes Yvette Hawkins’ work exploring the relationship between decay and preservation, by using silkworms and their spinning technique to persevere books that has been damaged over time by insects. The collection of hand-bound Japanese books had been donated by the Madsens, along with a collection of art and books, to the museums trust.

Dr Janet Barnes, CBE, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said some of the items donated had been used as “raw material” for the new works. She added: “It is intended that the new works should respond to, investigate and develop the values and cultural meaning of the original works.”