MONUMENTAL CONSTRUCTIONS
Olivier Grossetête + Les Bâtisses Soeurs
Dates + Times:
Build workshops:
Monday 16 - Friday 20 Oct at 10:00 + 14:00
10:00-21:00, Sat 21 Oct (Construction)
16:00, Sun 22 Oct (Deconstruction)
Location: Cornhill
FREE + Unticketed
All photos by Alexander Ward
Generously supported by Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Central and Thomas Wolsey 550.
The people of Ipswich joined French artist Olivier Grossetête on the Cornhill to imagine and build Cardinal Wolsey’s Tudor college entirely from cardboard and tape!
The Cardinal never got to see the designs for his college completed; all that’s left of it today is the historic Wolsey Gate on College Street near St Peter’s Church. In October 2023, we finished building it with the help of local school groups, businesses and individuals, before gathering for a public demolition — a huge, joyful celebration of Ipswich and its people.
Since 2000, Olivier Grossetête has travelled across the world to create almost 250 different constructions inspired by local architecture, visiting five continents and recruiting thousands of people in his adventure.
What to Expect
This is a family-friendly spectacle that takes place outside on Cornhill. As an audience member, you’re welcome to get involved as much or as little as you like, joining in with the build (and helping us tear it down after), or watching from a distance as the college comes together.
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST:
Olivier Grossetête is a visual artist who lives and works in Marseille, France. His work is based on recovery and misappropriation: cardboard, fines, refusal letters… He plays with words, shapes, gravity, volumes and materials, and tries to swing these elements into a world of fiction and dream.
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