The Institute of Mental Health press office writes:
A new sculpture commissioned to mark the opening of the Institute of Mental Health building on the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus, is set to be officially unveiled this week.
The sculpture, entitled House for a Gordian Knot, was made by sculptor Ekkehard Altenburger out of Italian Carrara marble and now sits outside the Institute’s headquarters on Triumph Road.
The Institute is the UK’s prime location for inter-disciplinary research in the mental health field. It was established in 2006 by partner organisations, The University of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
The six tonne sculpture, which rises nearly three metres in height, is set to be officially unveiled on Thursday 13 June 2013 from 12.15pm by Lord Ramsbotham GCB CBE, a former Chief Inspector of Prisons who works with the Centre for Health and Justice within the Institute of Mental Health.
Ekkehard Altenburger said: “After some initial sketches, I started to work on a three-dimensional model, which led to the form of a sculpture, which I gave the name ‘House for a Gordian Knot’. The riddle of designing a sculpture for the new Institute of Mental Health building was in the end elegantly resolved and the name naturally grew towards the sculpture. It will also be a reminder for both patients and practitioners to ‘think outside the box’ and this sculpture will hopefully provide a daily inspiration for both patients as well as staff. I am absolutely delighted with the result and hope that the sculpture will become an intricate part of the Jubilee Campus and bring a smile and inspiration to those who pass it.”
The project was co-ordinated by Dr Victoria Tischler, Arts Co-ordinator at the Institute of Mental Health, who has staged a number of arts exhibitions at the Institute since 2009. Central to the sculpture project was the involvement of mental health service users and offcuts from the main block of marble have been used by members of the Thursday Arts Group in Nottingham as part of their arts programme. The official unveiling will be attended by members of the Thursday Arts Group and representatives from partner organisations.