POPPY APPEAL SCULPTURES

What is remembrance? 

Poppy Appeal Sculptures, 2013
Acrylic and paper poppies
Edition 13 (approximate 4,000 poppies)
H200 x Dia250cm
© Mark Humphrey

COLLECTORS
Land Securities
The Royal Air Force Museum
The Royal Armouries Museum
East Kilbride Shopping Centre
Kirkgate Shopping Centre
The Centre
The Exchange Shopping Centre
The Mall Shopping Centre
Torchwood Shopping Centre
West Orchards Shopping Centre
CBRE Shopping Centre
Runcorn Shopping Centre
Crowngate Shopping Centre

CHARITY
The Royal British Legion

DEDICATION
Mayor of Luton, Mohammed Farooq

LOCATIONS
London, Leeds, Kilbride, Bradford, Milton Keynes, Luton, Solihull, Coventry, Manchester, Runcorn, Worcester

“POPPY APPEAL SCULPTURES ARE TEMPORARY MEMORIALS OF REMEMBRANCE, CREATED USING THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION’S PAPER POPPY. DESIGNED TO APPEAR DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, THE INSTALLATIONS TRANSFORM FAMILIAR PUBLIC SPACES INTO PLACES FOR COMMUNITIES TO COME TOGETHER, REFLECT AND REMEMBER.

THE SCULPTURES ARE CONCEIVED AS A ‘REMEMBRANCE KIT’ – DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED AS A FLAT-PACKED, SELF-ASSEMBLY SYSTEM THAT IS EASY TO INSTALL, MAINTAIN AND ADAPT. COMPONENTS CAN BE REPLACED, ALLOWING EACH SCULPTURE TO BE BUILT AND CARED FOR BY THE COMMUNITY THAT HOSTS IT.

THE INSTALLATION BEGINS WHITE, REPRESENTING PEACE. AS THE PUBLIC TAKE PART, THE SCULPTURE GRADUALLY TURNS RED AS POPPIES ARE ADDED, CREATING A VISIBLE TRANSFORMATION FROM PEACE TO REMEMBRANCE. EACH PAPER POPPY BECOMES AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE MEMORIAL, CONNECTING PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES, GENERATIONS AND CULTURES THROUGH A SHARED ACT OF REMEMBRANCE.

THE PUBLIC CAN WRITE PERSONAL MESSAGES ON THE POPPIES BEFORE PLACING THEM INTO THE SCULPTURE. SCHOOLS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS CAN PARTICIPATE IN BUILDING THE INSTALLATION TOGETHER, CREATING AN IMMERSIVE AND ENGAGING WAY TO LEARN ABOUT REMEMBRANCE AND THE HUMAN COST OF CONFLICT.

WHAT BEGINS AS AN EMPTY WHITE STRUCTURE BECOMES A GROWING FIELD OF RED – A MEMORIAL MADE BY MANY HANDS, CARRYING MANY MESSAGES AND REMEMBERING MANY LIVES.”

Mark Humphrey

“IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SUCH A MIX OF THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER IN ORDER TO COMMEMORATE THOSE THAT HAD FOUGHT IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR.”

Kate Staniforth, Marketing Manager
The Mall Shopping Centre, Luton