An art trail commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War that confronts scars of battle with healing in life is being laid out at Canary Wharf.
Artist Mark Humphrey has been commissioned by Canary Wharf Group to create the 11-piece Remembrance trail.
Artworks include a new piece dedicated to para-canoeist and ex-Army officer Nick Beighton, a 31-year-old veteran of Afghanistan who returned badly wounded—but overcame adversity to compete in the 2012 London Paralympics.
“The trail is about scars of war and healing in life,” Mark explains. “The artworks connect generations of service personnel, from the unknown Tommy of the 1914-18 War to Nick Beighton today.”
His artworks support military units and Armed Forces charities such as Combat Stress and The Poppy Factory which are collecting donations in Jubilee Place for the duration of the Remembrance art trail.
The Remembrance trail opens to the public on Monday, each artwork installed by the Royal Engineers. Taking centre stage is the iconic ‘Every One Remembered’, displayed at Canary Wharf after its four-year Royal British Legion tour around the UK.
The Legion’s Head of Remembrance Catherine Davies said: “We are reissuing our public appeal to recognise the million service men and women from the Empire and Commonwealth who made the ultimate sacrifice and never returned home.
“Every one of them should be individually commemorated in an historic act of remembrance.”
The organisation is opening a pop-up Poppy shop on Monday in Canary Wharf’s Reuters Plaza selling jewelry, homewares and clothes, running until Remembrance Sunday on November 11, exactly 100 years when the Great War guns fell silent on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
The 11 art trail exhibits:
Lost Armies: remembering the fallen and those who made sacrifices in the British Armed Forces (installed at Jubilee Park).
Every One Remembered: thousands of poppies dedicated by the public throughout the UK flutter around the soldier, a tribute to each of the fallen (at Jubilee Plaza).
Army, Navy and Airforce Triptych: using military transport parts to display poppies in abstract (Adams Plaza).
Fallen Soldier: remembering servicemen and women from all conflicts (Cabot Square).
Point of Everyman’s Land: delving into war in time and space, alongside moments of battle (West Wintergarden).
Lost Soldiers: healing, remembering and forgiveness (Montgomery Square).
Brothers in Arms: human sacrifice, comradeship and remembrance (Crossrail Place roof garden).
Nick Beighton, Trauma To Champion: life’s trauma and triumphs, death is not an option (One Canada Square lobby).
Nick Beighton, Tragedy To Triumph, Metamorphosis of Life: strength overcoming disaster, the power to heal (One Canada Square lobby).
Jutland Capsule: poppy capsule floating on water, sinking beneath waves over the shipwreck of HMS Invincible, commemorating all sailors who fell at the Battle of Jutland, largest naval conflict of the Great War (Canada Place).
Life Blossoms Again: reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice (Canada Place).
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