Ribbons (2024) is an outdoor sculpture in Leeds, England, by Pippa Hale, which was unveiled on 12 October 2024.[1] Shaped like entwined ribbons, this corten steel sculpture celebrates and commemorates the achievements of women in Leeds, by featuring the names of 383 women nominated by the public. This redresses the gender imbalance in public art in Leeds.
In 2019 four artists – Wendy Briggs, Pippa Hale, Zsófia Jakab and Briony Marshall – were shortlisted after an open call.[4] The four created maquettes which were then exhibited at Leeds Arts University, where members of the public could view them and contribute feedback. This consultation was included in the decision-making process by a panel of judges, including Reeves, to chose the winning sculptor.[5] The chosen artist was Hale, who described her proposal for the sculpture as: "Ribbons tie many parts together, so the idea is that we are binding the names of these women together over time and space in a celebration of womanhood."[6]
The women who feature on the sculpture were nominated by public vote, which opened in October 2019.[7][8] People were encouraged to put forward both famous women from Leeds, and also women whose everyday actions made a difference to the lives of those in their communities.[8]
Description
The sculpture is situated in outdoor space between Leeds Playhouse and Leeds City College's Quarry Hill campus.[2][9] At 5 metres (16 ft) tall, it comprises five corten steel ribbons, with women's names cut into them. The names are in sans-serif capital letters without any titles or honorifics, and are arranged randomly. They represent 383 women from Leeds who were nominated to feature in the sculpture.[6][7][9][10]
Construction
The firms involved in constructing the sculpture included Fish Fabrications, Norwich;[11] Skyhooks Engineering, Wakefield;[12] and the Fereday Cylinder Company, Dudley.[13][14]
Reception
In 2020 Leeds City Council instigated a review its public art, which highlighted the lack of diversity in public sculpture.[6][15] The review was led by Alison Lowe.[16]Ribbons was highlighted as an important part of the process to redress the gender imbalance in public art in the city.[6] At its unveiling Rachel Reeves described how it is "a chance to honour inspiring women from all walks of life, and celebrate the achievements of the many women who have made Leeds the wonderful city it is today".[2]
^"About [video]". Ribbons Sculpture Leeds. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024. The three firms are named in the video at 1m12s, 1m40s & 1m51s
.jpg)
