Uplifting sculpture celebrates hotel reopening
A huge well done to Turner Prize winner Martin Creed for his uplifting new piece recently unveiled in the grounds of the atmospheric Braemar Castle in Scotland.
Martin explained the piece by saying: “I was thinking about how if someone offers you a few words of comfort when you are distressed – even if the words are empty because there is not anything to back them up, it can be comforting.
“No-one can say everything is going to be alright, but despite that, many times in my life I have been very comforted by people saying something like that to me.”
Martin Creed’s neon piece, Work No 3435 Everything Is Going To Be Alright celebrates the re-opening after the lock-down of The Fife Arms hotel, which contains a staggering 14,000 pieces of artwork.
It’s a reprise of the installation that’s been comforting Edinburgh since it was installed on the facade of the National Gallery of Scotland in 2012, and was commissioned by Swiss art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth of internationally-acclaimed art gallery Hauser & Wirth who own the hotel.
Creed has used the phrase “Everything is going to be alright” as the basis for several pieces since 1999.
Gestures
It illustrates really graphically how important some comforting words, a goodwill gesture or thank you gift can be to people, especially if they are having a tough time. It is something worth considering as we limp along through this seemingly never-ending pandemic. Yes we want our customers to spend more, but we should also think about their well-being and their spirits. It will pay dividends in the future.
Amazon France refunded me €59 today because I inadvertently clicked on the subscribe to Prime button, thinking I was covered with my Amazon UK Prime account. They called me back, and spoke to be in English, sent me an email, and even reimbursed the currency exchange payments. I was impressed. I gave them five stars.
I also want to rush up to Scotland and dance around Martin Creed’s sculpture. I want to celebrate that we are all in this together – but that it will be alright.