Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre presents Y Canu Chalkydri, a commission by collaborative duo Malaphors, artists Megan Broadmeadow and Abi Hubbard.
Selected from nearly 150 applications from Welsh and Wales-based artists, Malaphors have created a new work for the front of the building that embraces the imminent re-opening of Chapter; a greeting and invitation for the people of Cardiff and Wales to cross the threshold of the venue once more.
Chalkydri are angelic creatures who intone messages to the birds, signalling the beginning of the dawn chorus. The tableaux summons a rich world of magic-infused symbolism that references a new chapter in the way that we communicate and see our world, and others beyond; a focus on the hope of new beginnings.
The central figure is the Iris goddess, who in Greek Mythology exists at the centre of the rainbow. In Y Canu Chalkydri she is nurturing a mystical ecosystem and guiding the life force surrounding her. Gender-fluid Cherubim – part human, part cloud – extol a message of glee and optimism towards a shifting and evolving society. Whilst at the same time, their protruding headdress bear a resemblance to the envelope proteins present within viruses, hinting that they may not be all that they seem….
- The artwork is on display at the entrance to Chapter, and it will remain in place until January 31 2021.