A NEW art exhibition at Chester Cathedral featuring sea containers, cars, steel girders and multiple tonnes of newsprint will be unveiled by one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors this month.

David Mach – an artist known for creating art on an epic scale – will arrive in the city to start a live-build of his new ‘Two Twisted’ installation, with support from his brother and a team of students.

The build is expected to take four days and will be ready for an official public launch event on Friday, April 12. The free-to-enter attraction will then stay open for visitors until May 20.

David is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) and former Turner Prize nominee and has previously showcased his work in Chester Cathedral as part of the Golgotha trilogy and the ARK exhibition in 2017, where he created ‘Vessel’ – a carved-out vase encrusted with two million nails.

The exhibition has been made possible thanks to funding from The Megan Gwynne–Jones Charitable Trust, which has worked in partnership with Chester Cathedral to bring the artist back to Chester.

Clive Pointon, who is Chairman of the Megan Gwynne-Jones Charitable Trust, said: ‘’David Mach is one of the most important names in international contemporary art and we’re thrilled that he’ll be returning to Chester.

“Members of the public will have a unique chance to watch the artist at work as this installation will be created within Chester Cathedral ahead of the launch event. On behalf of the Trust, we’re delighted to be bringing such an exciting exhibition to Chester and we hope that people will take the opportunity to experience David Mach at his absolute best.”

Dean of Chester, The Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford, added, “Two Twisted is a part of 'waves', Chester Cathedral’s extraordinary year of special events centred around the theme of water; seeking to provoke thought about how we care for and abuse the world God has given us.

“We are honoured that David has chosen to unveil his latest work of art within our walls and feel sure Two Twisted will create as much debate and discussion as his previous works.”

Born in Scotland, David Mach has earned an international reputation for his work since his first solo exhibition in 1982. He has since exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in locations such as London, New York, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Hong Kong.

Speaking ahead of his Chester Cathedral exhibition, David said: “I enjoy exhibiting in galleries and museums, but it can be a bit like being in church. The audience is quiet, reverential even. There are believers in there, in those prepared white cubes, certainly in art, giving an impression of preaching to the converted.

“I’ve enjoyed exhibiting in Chester Cathedral. This will be my third time. There are believers in there too but there’s much more noise and the audience is less ready. I like that.

“I will build an installation, a sculpture with ten tonnes of newspapers, two sea containers and other large objects. We’ll bring the outside world into the cathedral and activate it in a different way layering the material rhythmically in a performance that almost becomes like a dance repeating again and again the action that sees the work to existence.”

For more information about the exhibition, visit www.chestercathedral.com