Kerstin Bergendal, PARK LEK PARLAMENT, Sundbyberg, Sweden, 2010 - 2014. Photo of Jean Baptiste Béranger and PARK LEK.
Synopsis
Swedish artist Kerstin Bergendal has been commissioned by Willis Newson to collaborate with award winning architects Penoyre & Prasad and Landscape Architects Enzygo on the landscape design for a new 69 bed dementia care home, in Stockwood, Bristol. The development is one 3 new care homes in the city for dementia and extra care being developed with Bristol City Council to create beautiful therapeutic spaces for residents and a long term legacy for the care homes.
Bergendal’s work intervenes with a place. This also means that the place and its people intervene with the art project, making it an unpredictable reciprocal process.
When working on a site specific project Bergendal maps the present of the place and draws out an existing knowledge, or ”lived experience” from locals, as well as from professions and structures relating to the place. She provides discursive platforms that eventually grows out of this exchange, and aims to support and cultivate an existing local agency, and to improve conditions for local change.
Commissioned by Willis Newson to create beautiful garden spaces that provide meaningful opportunities for engagement, both with nature and also socially with others, Bergendal is currently collaborating with the design team and the care home providers Brunelcare on the landscape designs and its potential use. Bergendal will consider opportunities for linking the outside with the inside, capitalising on the therapeutic power of nature, emphasising garden resources and encouraging their use by residents.
This project has been commissioned and funded by Ashley House. Greville care home is a new 69 bed development which will be run by Ashley House and Brunelcare – Bristol Dementia Care Home Partnership – on behalf of Bristol City Council. In keeping with the Council’s public art policy, a budget for the development of a public art strategy and commissions programme was agreed by Bristol City Council to involve artists in the design and thinking of these spaces.
Kerstin Bergendal is a Swedish visual artist (b. 1957) based in Copenhagen. She uses drawing, photo, video and methods of pure play on the one hand, and durational strategies for critical intervention and participation on the other. Bergendal often engages critically in public discourse on the role of visual artists in contemporary society. Currently, she is a member of the team of educators at Akademin Valand in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Bergendal co-curated the artist-run research platform TAPKO (1991–2005); she was also involved in the transformation of the artist run public gallery OVERGADEN into a Copenhagen Institute of Contemporary Art (1996–2002). She served as member of the committee for art in public spaces at the Danish National Arts Foundation (2008-2010).
Willis Newson is a leading Bristol-based independent arts consultancy specialising in creative approaches to improving health and wellbeing. It develops & delivers public art strategies for new builds and refurbishments, manages public engagement programmes, offers an affordable design service for healthcare and provides advice and guidance on using art & design to create healthy environments.
Willis Newson was established in 2001 and has since carried out over 200 projects for more than 31 NHS Trusts, as well as working on projects for private healthcare clients, contractors and architects.
Ashley House is a leading social housing and health property partner working with providers and commissioners in the public, private & community sectors. They have over 20 years of providing innovative approaches in the resourcing, funding, design and development of flexible and efficient social and community health, care and supported living environments. Through enduring partnerships with all stakeholders, they lead each project from inception to delivery using experience and best practice to ensure delivery of inspiring and sustainable property solutions.
Brunelcare are renowned as a provider of high quality housing, care and support for older people in the South West. Since they were established in 1941, they have been at the forefront of developing ways for people to stay as independent as possible, creating supportive communities to live, work and enjoy being in.
Brunelcare are also recognised for their expertise in caring for people living with dementia, and for supporting their families. Their purpose built care homes provide an attractive and comfortable environment for specialist nursing and dementia care.
