Weeping Window of Poppies

© Richard Lea-Hair and Historic Royal Palaces

Weeping Window is a cascade comprising several thousand handmade ceramic poppies seen pouring from a high window to the ground below; Wave is a sweeping arch of bright red poppy heads suspended on towering stalks. These two sculptures, by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, commissioned to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war, are now brought to audiences at venues across the country as part of the 14-18 NOW programme.

As with all of the projects commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the presentation of these sculptures to new audiences across the United Kingdom aims to prompt a new, nationwide dialogue around the legacy of the First World War.

The breathtaking sculptures were initially conceived as the key dramatic sculptural elements in the installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London in the autumn of 2014. Over the course of their time at the Tower, the two sculptures were gradually surrounded by a vast field of ceramic poppies, each one planted by a volunteer in memory of the life of a British and Colonial soldier lost during the First World War. In their original setting they captured the public imagination and were visited by over five million people.

Poppy Arch

© Richard Lea-Hair and Historic Royal Palaces

The original installation was conceived of as transitory, the sea of poppies growing in size until the final one was planted on 11 November 2014. On completion, however, it was agreed that the works of art at the heart of this broader act of memorial should be preserved for the nation. 14-18 NOW is grateful to the Backstage Trust and Clore Duffield Foundation for their support in securing these sculptures for posterity. For the remainder of the 14-18 NOW programme, Wave and Weeping Window will be on view at selected locations around the United Kingdom. They will be gifted to the Imperial War Museums and displayed during the autumn of 2018 at IWM North and IWM London.

Poppies: Wave and Weeping Window by Paul Cummins, artist, and Tom Piper, designer.

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