Maurice Agis

Agis was born in east London in 1931. Between 1950 and 1962, he studied painting and sculpture at Saint Martin's School of Art in London before going onto postgraduate works on De Stijl at the Dutch Ministry of Education in 1967.

His disillusionment with art galleries led to his collaboration with Peter Jones to create Spaceplace, the first of many "abstract walk-through spaces". Spaceplace was installed at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, in 1966 and the next year at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Agis used the abilities of his art students while teaching at various installations between 1962 and 1973 (though the larger pieces were later manufactured overseas in countries such as Vietnam before being linked together in Britain).

After collaborating for 20 years, Agis and Jones went their separate ways. Agis's first solo project was Colourspace, which he presented for the first time in London in 1980 and later exhibited in Los Angeles and Brisbane, extending his profile. When Colourspace was exhibited in the German seaside town of Travemünde in July 1986, it lifted off the ground, injuring five people.{{cite news |last=Stewart |first=Chris |date=6 March 2009 |title=Near disaster of artist's early work |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/7907686.stm |url-status=live |accessdate=16 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310174155/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/7907686.stm |archive-date=Mar 10, 2009}}

When constructing his works, Agis would often involve local schools in the areas where the work would be displayed.Following the Chester-le-Street incident, many organizations removed any reference to Agis from their websites. A cached page from the Creative Partnerships is available [https://web.archive.org/web/20060508133031/http://www.creative-partnerships.com/projects/35408/ here].

Agis died on 12 October 2009, in Spain.{{cite news|title= Maurice Agis|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/art-obituaries/6350529/Maurice-Agis.html|work= The Daily Telegraph|date= 16 October 2009|accessdate= 7 September 2023|location= London|url-status= live|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20230624234622/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/art-obituaries/6350529/Maurice-Agis.html|archivedate= 24 June 2023|df= dmy-all}}

{{main|2006 Dreamspace V incident}}

On 22 July 2006, Agis installed Dreamspace V at Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, the second of a three-part tour of Britain. The following day, echoing the events of ‘’Colourspace’’, the artwork left its moorings, soaring {{Convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}}Some sources give this figure as [https://web.archive.org/web/20110517043919/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article654699.ece 70ft] (21m) and others [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1828226,00.html 150ft] (45m). into the air before colliding with a CCTV pole, killing two people and injuring 13 others.{{cite press release| title = Tragedy at Chester-le-Street's Riverside Park| publisher = Durham Constabulary| date = 23 July 2006| url = http://www.durham.police.uk/press/news_article.php?id=395| accessdate = 27 January 2007| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060929122254/https://www.durham.police.uk/press/news_article.php?id=395| archivedate = 29 September 2006| df = dmy-all}} Following the incident, Durham Police seized the remnants of Dreamspace and launched a joint investigation with the Health & Safety Executive.{{cite press release| title = HSE investigation into the Inflatable Artwork incident, County Durham| publisher = Health & Safety Executive| date = 24 July 2006| url = http://www.hse.gov.uk/news/riversidepark/index.htm| accessdate = 27 January 2007| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060923234927/http://www.hse.gov.uk/news/riversidepark/index.htm| archivedate = 23 September 2006| df = dmy-all}}{{cite news|last=Staff writer|title= Artwork victims 'fell to deaths'|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/5208898.stm|work= BBC News Online|date= 27 July 2006|accessdate= 27 January 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061107215309/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/5208898.stm |archivedate = 7 November 2006}}

Vandalism was immediately suspected; the artwork had been slashed with knives two weeks previously.{{cite news |last=Chapple |first=Mike |date=29 June 2006 |title=Dreamspace returns in all its multi-coloured glory |work=Liverpool Daily Post |url=http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_headline=dreamspace-returns-in-all-its-multi%2Dcoloured-glory%26method=full%26objectid=17308661%26page=1%26siteid=50061-name_page.html |accessdate=27 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508070619/http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_headline=dreamspace-returns-in-all-its-multi-coloured-glory%26method=full%26objectid=17308661%26page=1%26siteid=50061-name_page.html |archive-date=May 8, 2010}} While foul play was not completely ruled out, other avenues were also explored. Another theory was that the warm air on the Sunday had caused the artwork to become a "hot air balloon". The structure had undergone safety checks by a Chester-le-Street health and safety committee made up of police and fire service experts before it had opened to the public.{{cite news |last1=Stokes |first1=Paul |title=Sun turned inflatable artwork into a killer |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1524741/Sun-turned-inflatable-artwork-into-a-killer.html |access-date=9 February 2025 |work=The Telegraph |date=25 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508220529/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1524741/Sun-turned-inflatable-artwork-into-a-killer.html |archive-date=8 May 2010 |url-status= live}}

On 29 November 2006, Agis attended a police interview at Charing Cross police station, where he was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He was released on police bail, pending further enquiries.{{cite news |last=Norfolk |first=Andrew |date=30 November 2006 |title=Artist held over bouncy castle fall |work=The Times |location=London |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article654699.ece |accessdate=27 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517043919/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article654699.ece |archive-date=May 17, 2011}} A statement was issued indicating that it would be summer 2007 at the earliest before the investigation was completed.{{cite news|first= Ian|last= Herbert|title= Dreamscape designer held on suspicion of manslaughter|url= http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2026790.ece|work= The Independent|date= 30 November 2006|accessdate= 27 January 2007|location= London|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070129013949/http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2026790.ece|archivedate= 29 January 2007|df= dmy-all}} Agis was due to answer bail on 3 September, but this was extended to the end of November.{{cite news|last= Staff writer|title= Bail extended over artwork deaths|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6976771.stm|work= BBC News Online|date= 3 September 2007|accessdate= 13 October 2007}}

On 13 February 2008, Agis was charged with gross negligence manslaughter.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/7243348.stm | work=BBC News | title=Man accused of sculpture deaths | date=13 February 2008 | accessdate=12 May 2010}} The trial began on 26 January 2009. Agis was convicted of a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the manslaughter charge; a few days later, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that there would be no retrial, no evidence was offered against him, and formal not guilty verdicts were returned. On 26 March 2009, Agis was fined £10,000 for the health and safety offences. On 12 August 2009, this fine was reduced to £2,500 on appeal.

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• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218191412/http://www.dreamspace-agis.com/webesp/index.htm |date=18 December 2005 |title=Official website }}

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Category:1931 births

Category:2009 deaths

Category:20th-century British sculptors

Category:Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art

Category:Sculptors from London

Category:English male sculptors