How To Experience FORGE
From 31st March 2022 - 2nd April 2022 at new experimental warehouse venue Testbed, informed by her Jewish history, artist Rachel Mars will be making an exact replica of the 100kg steel ‘welcome gate’ which was stolen from the Dachau concentration camp. Accompanied by a live sound-scape by sound artist Dinah Mullen, audiences are invited to watch as Rachel welds a replica of the replica gate over the course of three days.
FORGE investigates how to balance living with a traumatic past with a responsibility to the present. This extraordinary artwork explores who memorials are for, what happens to places where traumatic events take place and who decides.
There are various ways to engage with this incredible project this week, here’s our step-by-step guide on becoming completely immersed in the world of FORGE:
Experience the installation
To experience the full-scale FORGE installation at Testbed, firstly plan when you want to visit.
On Thu 31 March and Fri 1 April, the installation is open from 10am-2pm and from 3pm-6pm. On Sat 2 April the installation is open from 11am-1pm and 3.30pm-7pm.
Book for your preferred time slot, tickets are Pay What You Can. You can plan to stay as long as you like beyond your time slot, subject to capacity, so there’s no need to feel rushed.
Due to the nature of the work that will be happening in the space, it’s important that you come prepared! Please show up wearing a long sleeve top and trousers, and closed shoes.
Once you arrive, you’ll be given some protective gear to wear including a hard hat.
You’ll then be all set and ready to enter the space to stand, sit, watch and be immersed in this epic experience. There will be a rest space in the space if you need to take some time out, and we’re working to ensure that aspects of the artwork are accessible in a variety of ways, find out more on our website.
Join a conversation
Around the corner at The Tetley, we’re hosting three conversations to accompany FORGE, featuring provocations from artists and activists working in the field of memorialisation.
You can join to hear inspiring speakers and get involved in the conversation with a bite to eat. Subjects to be discussed include memorial issues pertinent to the city and beyond and speakers include leading artist Malika Booker, campaigner and former councillor Alison Lowe and academic Dr Emily Zobel Marshall.
Conversations will be held on Thu 31 March and Fri 1 April at 7.30pm, and Sat 2 April at 1.30pm, so can be timed perfectly
around your visit to the installation.
Book your ticket for the Conversations (which are also Pay What You Can) on the Transform website.
Be there for the closing moments
Whenever you join the FORGE installation you can expect a reflective, immersive and powerful experience as Rachel welds the gate over the course of the three days. If you would like to see the final result of Rachel’s efforts and witness the scale and impact of the replica gate, we would recommend joining for one of the final slots on Saturday afternoon/evening.
There will be a closing moment to culminate the process before the installation closes at 7pm – whilst we don’t want to give too much away – we’d recommend joining to mark the end of this epic and cathartic experience. If you want to take in as much as possible that
day, you might join the final FORGE conversation at 1.30pm before spending the afternoon in the installation. You can always pop over to our friends at Sheaf Street for snacks, coffees and respite in between.
We’re looking forward to experiencing the reflective and powerful experience that will be FORGE with you. Find full details here