[Willow Kemp] So we're here at the bottom of the staircase, leading to the Events Area at the Ham Yard Hotel. And on this wall is a piece by Alexander Calder, and it has a fascinating story. Calder is most famous for his mobiles, but this is a very special tapestry piece made out of sisal. It was initiated by the Manhattan socialite, Kitty Meyer. In 1972, there was an earthquake in Nicaragua and Kitty Meyer wanted to raise funds to rebuild. And five artists responded. Alexander Calder was one. And as thanks, Kitty visited him in his new studio in Central France and brought with her, a hammock made by the Nicaraguans. And he loved it so much that immediately, this inspired him to create more hammocks and give 14 designs to the local artisans to weave, to braid actually, in this sisal fabric. So it's a true collaboration because they followed his designs, but they use their skills and their crafts and the whole village got involved. And it was fantastic because the craftsmen, they got paid four times their normal wage and it brought money and awareness of their materials and crafts to a wider public.
[Kit Kemp] I think it's fabulous that an artist couldn't get involved and because of his fame bring a lot of fortune to an area which is actually really needing it.

[Willow Kemp] This was done in 1975 and it's an ode to Josephine Baker. We love Josephine Baker. She was a famous performer 

[Kit Kemp] - in France

[Willow Kemp] - a dancer in the jazz age. So Calder, made some mobiles of her that was in 3D and then translated that picture of her onto the 2D surface.

[Kit Kemp] And it leads us down the staircase and facing us on this wall is the Mila Furstova. Can you tell us about it, Willow?

[Willow Kemp] Mila Furstova is a Czech artist and she came to the public's awareness when she designed Coldplay's Ghost Stories album cover, an artwork and some singles. There's some amazing footage of it being projected over one of their massive arena tours.

[Kit Kemp] We found her Work in the Royal Academy in 2018.
[Willow Kemp] At the summer exhibition, and it was right on the top wall, but we spotted it. And then we were even more excited when you could see the detail. She's very anecdotal. There's a narrative to her work. It's a large etching and she etches it with meticulous detail with a needle onto a plate. And then she just allows the story to grow.

[Kit Kemp]  This is called "The Rivers Running Through Me." And when you know that title and you start looking at it, you can see all these flows and rivers and the absolute intricacy. And yet the strength, the graphic strength of this work in this space, it's taken an area which is in between a bar and a bowling alley, and it's given it complete character of its own. So suddenly this is a space that you want to stand in. It's a space that you want to dream in. It's a space that can actually inspire you. And that's what we've tried to achieve.

[Willow Kemp] It's very personal with a definite female voice.

[Kit Kemp] Absolutely.