Art Among the Light
In 1996, Kate Egan’s Space Pieces brought a unique vision of the cosmos to Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Twenty-six large-scale hangings were installed beside and in front of the sweeping windows of the Barbirolli and Charles Hallé rooms, overlooking the quiet canal basin. The works set themselves a subtle yet ambitious challenge: to be visually striking on a monumental scale, yet retain a delicate, almost ethereal quality when observed up close.
The title Space Pieces hints at the dual inspiration behind the works. On one level, it acknowledges the grandeur of the hall’s architectural spaces, the lofty interiors where music and movement meet. On another, it reflects Egan’s fascination with the celestial – the orbits of planets, the faint glimmer of distant stars, and the rhythms of the universe. The timing of their creation was poetic: Egan developed the pieces as the comet Hyakutake made its rare journey past Earth, a cosmic event that seems almost to have left its imprint on the designs. In addition, the hangings carry subtle echoes of musicality, a nod to the interplay of rhythm and composition in both visual and auditory art.
The hangings themselves were dynamic. Suspended on motorised tracks, each layered in threes, they moved gently across the glass, revealing hidden depths in their semi-transparent surfaces. Light and shadow played across the materials, transforming the banners into a procession of veils that shimmered like jewels as they slid past one another.
Egan’s materials were deliberately contemporary – woven plastic mesh combined with embroidered elements, coloured tags, buttons, metal fastenings, and laminated threads – blending traditional craft with modern experimentation. Yet the very modernity of the materials also posed challenges. Over time, the hangings became soiled, leading to an accumulation of airborne dust and grime. Despite being structurally sound, cleaning and conservation proved difficult. By 2005, the decision was made to remove the works from public display.
Though no longer visible within the hall, Space Pieces remain a significant example of site-specific art in public spaces. They highlight the delicate balance between bold design and material fragility, the interplay of light and architecture, and the importance of long-term maintenance in sustaining the life of large-scale artworks. In their time, Egan’s pieces offered a quietly dramatic vision, a reminder of the cosmos above and the poetry inherent in the spaces we inhabit.