Max Eastley at Perrott's Folly

Through Ikon's offsite programme I got the chance to work with the Max Eastley installation at the amazing Perrott's Folly.

Commissioned in 1758 by the wealthy and eccentric land-owner John Perrott, the gothic tower would have been the tallest structure for miles around when it was first built, giving its owner a huge status boost amongst his peers. Romantic tales suggest the loss Perrott felt at his wife’s death was so great that he desired to be elevated above the clouds to look upon her grave which was ten miles away behind the Clent Hills. Others suggest it was to spy on his cheating wife before she died.

Max Eastley had Aeolian Harps and Sculptures installed in the Folly. His sculptures exist on the border between the natural environment and human intervention and use the driving forces of electricity, wind, water and ice.

Having first worked with Ikon in 1979, he returns to make an installation involving eight lightweight Aeolian harps mounted on the roof of Perrott’s Folly, a landmark 18th century tower in Birmingham’s Ladywood district. The sound made by wind blowing through the harps is amplified and fed to loudspeakers at lower levels to combine with the sounds emanating from a number of acoustic sculptures, transforming the interior of the tower into an immersive aural experience.

Our job was to give tours and invigilate the awkward narrow space. It was great to be able to spend so much time outside and be around one of Birmingham's great hidden spaces.