Yorkshire Sculpture International launches limited-edition publication as momentum builds for 2027 triennial
Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup celebrates 15 regional sculptors following a unique takeover at the Henry Moore Institute Research Library - marking the official countdown to Yorkshire Sculpture International’s expanded return in 2027
A landmark pop-up at one of the world's premier art archives has been immortalised in a new limited-edition publication, marking the start of the official countdown to Yorkshire Sculpture International’s (YSI) grand return in 2027.
The publication, titled Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup, documents a one-day intervention staged at the Henry Moore Institute Research Library in Leeds, where 15 Yorkshire-based sculptors placed works directly alongside reading tables and book stacks.
The project drew inspiration from late sculptor Phyllida Barlow’s groundbreaking 1995 intervention Objects for a Library, which marked the opening of the research library 30 years ago.
Produced in a strictly limited edition of just 100 unbound copies featuring a hand screen-printed cover, the £20 publication is available now directly from the Henry Moore Foundation online shop.
Designed by Sheffield-based Ashleigh Armitage with photography by Sculpture Network alumnus James Clarkson, the edition includes essay contributions from sculptor Olivia Bax and Jane Bhoyroo, Principal Keeper at Leeds Art Gallery.
The production was supported by the Yorkshire Visual Arts Network (YVAN) and the Newspaper Club.
The featured sculptors - selected via open call across the region’s cities, coast, and countryside - include Anne-Marie Atkinson, Luke Beech, Grace Clifford, Henry Cottam, Joseph Goddard, Aliyah Hussain, Lucie Kordacova, Alana Lake, Simon Le Ruez, Molly Newham, Simon Raines, Rhubarbs, Ailish Treanor, Chanelle Windas, and Dawn Woolley.
The book's title stems from the three smallest bones in the human inner ear—reflecting four months of shared making, listening, impact, and connection across the regional art scene.
The launch serves as an early harbinger of YSI's expanded vision. Following a three-year hiatus for its network programme, YSI is establishing itself as a major triennial festival.
When it returns in 2027, the festival will expand its footprint across Leeds, Wakefield, Halifax, Bradford, and Huddersfield.
Laurence Sillars, Head of the Henry Moore Institute, praised the release as "a lasting record of exchange" between historical archives and new generations of makers.
YSI Programme and Partnership Manager Ella Cronk added that the release captures a key moment in the region's artistic history "while looking firmly towards what comes next."