Jersey Exhibition Unveils Sculpture of Donated Shirts

An art exhibition, titled “The Dancing Together project,” has commenced, featuring 700 shirts contributed by individuals in Jersey. These garments, which carry significant personal memories for their donors, form the core of the new display. Earlier this year, the shirts were suspended from Charing Cross before being removed and transformed into the sculpture now exhibited at ArtHouse Jersey. This display, located at Capital House, is accessible to the public through 1 December. Bruce Carnegie, among the donors, contributed an item of clothing imbued with personal significance to the exhibition. He stated that the shirt evoked memories of a friend who passed away from cancer last year, and who, he believed, would have appreciated its inclusion in the artwork. Mr. Carnegie commented: “Drawing shirts together like this, which all have a history, and displaying them in a public space for people to look at, admire and criticise, are the sorts of things that make us human and make us a society.” The concept for the exhibition originated with Finnish contemporary artist Kaarin Kaikkonen, who also transformed the shirts into the sculptural piece. She indicated that the idea emerged following her father’s death. “My father died in front of my eyes when I was a child,” she stated. “I felt his love more when I had his shirt on.” Ms. Kaikkonen further explained: “Every shirt has the energy of the person who had been wearing it, so that’s why I want to use old shirts that had a previous life.” This exhibition marks the inaugural instance of Ms. Kaikkonen’s work being presented alongside a soundtrack, which was composed by musician and sound designer Päivi Takala. The Butterfield Public Art Series encompasses a sequence of artworks spanning three years within Jersey’s public spaces, developed by ArtHouse Jersey and supported by Butterfield.