YSP is delighted to have joined prestigious international cultural institutions, including Central Park Conservancy, Black Cultural Archives, Serpentine, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and many more, on the Bloomberg Connects app.

Developed in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, YSP’s new digital guide provides a fascinating way to explore the display of world class modern and contemporary sculpture in Wakefield, Yorkshire from anywhere in the world.

New content, created by YSP’s curators and exhibiting artists, brings the outdoor sculptures to life. It enables users to discover more about many of the works from the artists who made them, in their own words. Film and audio content has been created by internationally renowned artists Alfredo Jaar, Kalliopi Lemos, Jaume Plensa, RAQS Media Collective, Ursula von Rydingsvard, William Tucker, and many more. The app also acts as a guide to Joana Vasconcelos’s Beyond – YSP’s joyful headline exhibition of 2021 – with film and audio of the artist talking about her work, alongside YSP curators’ insights.

The Perspectives feature gives users a unique opportunity to hear from artists YSP has worked with as they talk about their favourite works and why they connect with them on a personal level. Several of YSP’s recent and current resident artists, including Kedisha Coakley, Connor Shields and Michael Forbes, discuss works that they love and find engaging, from Barbara Hepworth’s iconic The Family of Man to Roger Hiorns’s otherworldly Seizure, and Hemali Bhuta’s intriguing Speed Breakers. Contributions have also been made by alumni artists including Haroon Mirza, Hester Reeve, Emily Speed, and Rosanne Robertson.

Curator and content lead for YSP’s guide Sarah Coulson says:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have joined Bloomberg Connects, and in such great international company. Our guide contains everything visitors need in one place: from maps and information about food, drink and shopping, to accessibility and engaging information about the artworks. Curated walking routes are available for those wanting a little more guidance, including short and longer routes for wheelchair users and those with prams, as well as a half day or full day walks. Behind the scenes photographs of the making of some of YSP’s much-loved site-specific works, including Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Trees and James Turrell’s Deer Shelter Skyspace, are also featured. We hope our visitors and digital audiences enjoy using it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

A YSP Family area contains ideas for imaginative and creative conversations, designed to help families to think and talk about the sculpture and landscape. There is also a new series of films to help people of all ages and abilities, whether alone or in groups, to begin to discover sculpture. Taking works such as Thomas J. Price’s Network as starting points, they provide ideas and questions for looking at, thinking about and discovering sculpture that can be used to connect with any of the artworks at YSP.

Download the app for free by searching ‘Bloomberg Connects’ on Apple Store or Google Play.