Ryan Gander unveils new Wild Eye sculpture at Scarborough Castle

Invisible Dust and Yorkshire Wildlife unveil a new sculpture at Scarborough Castle by Ryan Gander - Ryan views his sculpture in situ. Pic: RIchard Ponter

The artist has been commissioned as part of Wild Eye, an ambitious project by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and art-science organisation Invisible Dust, which engages with leading artists to create new sculptures that both enable nature observation opportunities and raise awareness of the potentially devastating effects of climate change on our coastal environment.

Ryan Gander’s new sculpture We are only human (Incomplete sculpture for Scarborough to be finished by snow) for English Heritage’s Scarborough Castle headland has been created in the shape of a dolos - a form normally used as a defence to prevent coastal erosion.

The sculpture is purposely only partially formed as it is intended to be completed by snowfall. Due to the changes in weather conditions caused by global warming, this work may never be seen in its original ‘complete’ form.

Invisible Dust and Yorkshire Wildlife unveil a new sculpture at Scarborough Castle by Ryan Gander. Pic: Richard Ponter

Ryan Gander is a world-renowned artist who has been awarded an OBE for services to culture and recently became a Royal Academician. Scarborough will join New York, Mexico City, Cambridge, Liverpool and other international cities in hosting pieces of his thoughtful and engaging works in public spaces.

This will be the first piece in what is planned to become a major sculpture trail for the Yorkshire Coast, created by some of the world's leading artists, seeking to engage local people and visitors with the incredible wildlife and marine life found in the region.

Further sculptures from artist duo Juneau Projects, created in collaboration with Whitby community members, will be unveiled in Whitby Harbour later this month.

The unique sculptures have been created in collaboration with Scarborough Borough Council, Coast and Vale Community Action (CaVCA) and English Heritage. Wild Eye is funded by Scarborough and Whitby Town Deal funding allocations and aims to bring together artists, conservationists and the wider community to foster a greater understanding of climate change and the importance of protecting the incredible wildlife found across the North Yorkshire coast.