HULL : Turning The Idea Of Play On Its Head

A Hull 2017 Business Club member is celebrating its part in the creation of a unique exhibition installed in the city centre.

In collaboration with various partner organisations including London-based Silo Studio, Humber Galvanizing provided its hot-dip molten zinc treatment to 16 artistic pineapples, 15 of which have been installed on the façade of the Humber Street Gallery.

The ‘States of Play’ exhibition was created by Crafts Council specifically for Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and which showcases how play shapes lives and the world, with sixteen UK and international artists and designers essentially turning the idea that play is preserved for children on its head.

Silo Studio, one of the designers of the project, contacted Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and its Business Club members to explore utilising its expertise in using non-traditional industrial materials, to work in partnership with local organisations to create the pineapples. Humber Galvanizing was subsequently called on to provide its treatment and the trademark shiny silver galvanizing finish to the pineapples, which represent the area’s famous fruit market heritage.

“We’ve very much enjoyed being part of Hull City of Culture 2017,” explained Co-Founder of Silo Studio, Oscar Lessing. “Hull is such an historic city and we were keen for the States of Play commission to utilise the industrial skills in the region and bring them together to make playfulness happen. The idea behind the pineapples, apart from them representing the iconic fruit market, was that they would spill out of the gallery, with 15 situated outside and one inside.”

Tony Linsley, Sales Manager at Humber Galvanizing, added:

“We were thrilled to be involved in this exhibition, as we’re proud of our company’s history in the city as well as the Hull city heritage. The project wasn’t without its challenges, with some of the mesh steel requiring much thought and skill to galvanize, but the finished result looks fantastic and we’re extremely pleased with the feedback from tourists and locals.”