Sugar Metropolis

INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE

SUGAR METROPOLIS

Sculptors Mark Revels and Brendan Jamison constructing SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

ROYAL ULSTER ACADEMY OF ARTS, ULSTER MUSEUM, BELFAST

Friday 18 October 2013 to Sunday 5 January 2014

LEFT: Visitors on the last day of construction on 17 November 2013. RIGHT: Sculptor Brendan Jamison installing the sugar cubes on the first day of construction on Tuesday 15 October: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

'Sugar Metropolis' is a giant collaborative project devised for the Royal Ulster Academy by international sculptor Brendan Jamison. From 18 October to 17 November 2013, every visitor to the Ulster Museum was invited to participate in the creation of this large-scale sugar cube sculpture installation, enclosed within its own room as part of the Royal Ulster Academy's 132nd Annual Exhibition. The project was generously sponsored by KPMG, Arts & Business N.I. and Belfast City Council.

Over 5,000 people created the imaginary ‘city of the future’, a sweet metropolis with half a million sugar cubes, built into free-standing structures and all sparkling under the lights with a sense of wonder and magic.

The sculpture installation began with a meandering river of sugar, complemented by giant mountains of sugar cubes. Visitors sourced their cubes from the mountains, depleting the mounds as the imaginary city grew vertically. During each day, one sculptor (from a special team of 5) was on hand to construct parts of the city. For visitors entering the installation, the sculptors demonstrated how to build the cubes in a stable fashion.

SCULPTURE TEAM FOR SUGAR METROPOLIS


Brendan Jamison	Lydia Holmes	Mark Revels	Mary McCaffrey	David Turner

President of the Academy, Colin Davidson, described how "the Sugar Metropolis project enables the RUA to fulfil the primary aim of celebrating, enriching and expanding contemporary approaches to the visual arts through the creation and display of a highly innovative and original artwork constructed by exhibition visitors from all age brackets and all backgrounds."

Brendan Jamison outlined how "this special project aimed to celebrate the power of collaboration in art, unlocking the potential of thousands of minds working together in the realisation of an artwork beyond any one person's singular vision."

Sugar Metropolis is now completed and is available to view at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, until Sunday 5 January 2014. Daily opening hours: 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Sunday. For further information please email jamisonsculpturestudio@gmail.com

Official trailer for Sugar Metropolis

Filmed by Design Ethos for the RUA

2 minutes, 58 seconds

Installation of Sugar Metropolis

Filmed by Jamison Sculpture Studio

83 seconds

Constructing Sugar Metropolis

One week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

17 November 2013: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

View from North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

View from South East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

South East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

View from South West quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Mary McCaffrey's arena in the North West quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Mark Revels constructing SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

North West corner: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

North West quadrant: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

North of the city: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Brendan Jamison in the South East quadrant of the city: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

North West quadrant of the city: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Aerial view of the city's North West quadrant: one week before the end of construction on SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Mary McCaffrey working on an organic-shaped building in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Mary McCaffrey completing her arena in the North West quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptors Mary McCaffrey, Brendan Jamison and Lydia Holmes completing SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptors Mary McCaffrey and Brendan Jamison chatting in the North West quadrant of SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptors Mary McCaffrey, Lydia Holmes and Brendan Jamison completing SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Tony Corey for Jamison Sculpture Studio

16 October 2013: 11 year old Thomas Johnston constructs in the South of the city on the special KPMG preview evening. SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

16 October 2013: pensioners construct in the West of the city on the special KPMG preview evening. SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

A museum visitor builds a castle and moat in South-East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Mark Revels completes a bridge in the middle of SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

An exhibition visitor concentrates on building in the South East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Julia D'Arcy constructs a beautiful swirl in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Members of the public build in the South East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Young visitors construct in the South of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Mark Revels explains the project concept to young visitors at SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Two weeks before the end of construction: sculptor Mark Revels works on a large circular building in the North of SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Building into the mountains in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Heather Carr from Arts and Business N.I. creates a round-pointed building in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Artist Ciaran Magill adds a cube to a building in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

A Scottish visitor spends 3 hours creating an elaborate network of connecting walls between 5 buidlings that were created the previous week by different people in the North East quadrant of the city. SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Two visitors collaborate during a 4 hour building session in the South West corner of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Boats and towers under construction during the second week of building in the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

A pryamid is built in the South East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

In the background, sculptor David Turner finishes a tower in the North West quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor David Turner completes an oil tanker in the middle of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Sculptor Lydia Holmes completes a curving wall in the North West quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

13 November 2013: NVTV crew with sculptor David Turner in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

13 November 2013: NVTV film an inter-generational workshop with pensioners and young people from the Belfast Trust and St. Vincent's. SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

LEFT: Sculptor Brendan Jamison in the North West quadrant of the city. RIGHT: Sculptor David Turner completes the tallest structure in the city, the 'Infinity Tower', named after the shape of its base which resembles the infinity symbol. Located in the North East quadrant of the city: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

The South East quadrant of the city on the last day of construction: SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. © Jamison Sculpture Studio

17 November 2013: Sculptor Mary McCaffrey adds the last cube to SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio

Panorama of the city after construction was completed on 17 November 2013. SUGAR METROPOLIS (2013) 500,000 sugar cubes. 180 x 900 x 700 cms. Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast. Photography: © Jamison Sculpture Studio