By Nellie-Clare Naggs Salmon.
Chester Cathedral is proud to welcome renowned sculptor Peter Walker and his inspiring ‘Peace Doves’ exhibition. This display will open to the public between May 2nd and June 17th. Not only is this installation beautiful, but it also has hidden meaning, as each paper dove has a handwritten message of peace on. Each message has been written by people in local community groups, visitors and schoolchildren.
Peter Walker is a celebrated sculptor and fine artist. Peace Doves is currently on a tour across the country, and has already been to Liverpool, Chichester, Lincoln, Tewkesbury and Durham. Walkers’ art is about creating spaces that engage people and bring together a community.
This exhibition is not only about personal messages of love, peace and hope, but also has created a community project bringing together thousands of people’s wishes. Hanging in the main body of the cathedral, over 8000 inscribed paper doves hang in unison from the high ceiling, with colourful spotlights breaking through them, and a backdrop of stained-glass windows.
Doves are a symbol of peace and are very prominent throughout the Bible, as the dove carried an olive branch to Noah’s ark to show peace had arrived. Around Chester Cathedral, doves can be seen in places such as, stained glass windows, stone and wood. Having this exhibition, shows the symbolism that doves have in the Bible and has offered a space for people to reflect.
As well as the Peace Doves installation, there currently is a peace wall up through the duration of the exhibition. This has been done to allow visitors to continue immersing themselves into the project and keep contributing messages onto paper doves to display on a wall beside the project.
Throughout the time this exhibition is up, there will be events taking place under the peace doves. Events include mindfulness sessions every Monday, talks from a panel including author Chine McDonald, a Ukrainian dance project, music from composer David Harper, and an Indian concert by band Jungalbandi, meaning ‘tied together’.
Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines MBE, who is a Holocaust survivor, visited Chester Cathedral on Holocaust Memorial Day and wrote a message of peace. Lady Milena’s dove is included in the exhibition and has the words “Hope for a better future”. Others who contributed to the Chester doves include poet Imtiaz Dharker. Dharker will also have a poetry session in the cathedral with other local poets, under an exhibition called “Poetry for Peace”.
This is a free immersive exhibition that asks for a donation of your choice if possible. Peace Doves offers a space to reflect and take in the beauty which the cathedral already has to offer. The exhibition has already brought together over 8000 people within the community of Chester and is attracting even more to come view this remarkable project.
