Returning to beginnings

The first, pictured above, was projected onto the gallery wall near to the main entrance. It was based on the 1953 film about Barbara Hepworth’s work, Figures in a Landscape. A key scene in the film shows the camera reverse zoom out of a central cavity of one of Hepworth’s sculptures.

Behr’s film performs a similar movement on a full-scale trial piece of concrete left over from the gallery’s construction.

The second film, pictured left, explores an archaeological approach to the building, literally tracing it back to its source in the ground at a limestone quarry in the Peak District which supplied the cement for the building.

This film was constantly moving, reflecting the movement in the water below the window in which it was projected.

Behr said: “I normally work with architectural sites that have a significant history, so it was particularly interesting to work with something that has not even opened yet. It’s history has not even started.

“I have become increasingly interested in concrete and the role of concrete in people’s daily lives, and how we see this man made rock in geological terms.

“On visiting The Hepworth I became interested in how the new gallery connects with the waterfront area’s industrial heritage and other layers of history.

“Even if you are tiling your bathroom you don’t think about where the tiles have come from. The film traces it literally back into the ground.”

“I wanted to bring momentum back to the building, much like the water flows past the building, to let it cascade and flow on the building.

“The piece invites people to walk around the building and explore the concrete facade.”

The project was commissioned as part of the Lumen/imove project, The Moving Body of the City, a series of films and projections examining historic or abandoned buildings across Yorkshire towns and cities.

Curator Gemma Millward, from The Hepworth, said: “We have been working with Bernd Behr on this project for the past six months, so it’s amazing to see the finished product in situ. Bernd has produced a stunning installation that links all aspects of the gallery together and looks stunning against the evening sky.

“Even on such a cold night we attracted more than 100 visitors, so our thanks go to all those involved for braving such a cold night and really engaging with the work.“