TWO eight foot high steel gates will form the centrepiece of an exhibition by a mother whose baby son was a victim of the Alder Hey organ scandal.
The 12 feet wide gates will be erected on a platform at Bolton's Art Gallery as part of Bolton Institute student Denise Green's third year degree show entitled 'Never Again'.
And once its Bolton run ends -- the exhibition runs from Friday to June 14 -- Denise plans to take it on a nationwide tour.
Nine years ago Denise buried her son, William, who died after suffering a heart attack, following an operation at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool. Five years later she and her family discovered William's organs had been removed and she was back, by his graveside, to bury the parts of her son that had been taken for teaching purposes, but without her consent.
A third interment followed in 2001 when further organs were returned to the family.
Her show, supported with work by two Bolton Institute graduate artists and friends, Pam Padmore and Valerie Thompson, will be a memorial installation "for of all the children involved in organ retention around the UK".
Denise added: "This exhibition is not just my voice, it is for the people who have responded to my previous exhibition.
"It is the end of my degree, I am going onto a Masters at Manchester, but it is is a closure for me."
The exhibition will feature the huge gates which other parents who lost children in the organ retention scandal can hang things on.
"People can leave fresh flowers, toys or photographs," said Denise who is inviting parents to the preview.
A memorial book made up of people's thoughts and images from her first exhibition, 'The Victims' will also be involved in the exhibition, along with five casts of heads showing grief and pain and a cast of a mother's hand clutching that of a baby.
There will also be 17 pairs of children's shoes ranging from birth to 17, each with a balloon. "These will be a celebration of those children who lost their lives." Denise will also run a series of workshops on the theme of memorials, on May 10, 24, 27 and 29 from 10.30am to 3pm. There will also be a "drop in and meet the artist" session on May 31 2pm-4pm.
Denise, a mother of four, said: "The response from the public to my first exhibition was quite amazing and I was thrilled when the gallery contacted me to ask if my work could be added to their permanent collection, showing the importance of modern day events in art.
"I did not begin my degree as some sort of art therapy, I am a trained bereavement counsellor and I am very aware of my emotions.
"What I am aiming to do is express to the public the issues surrounding organ retention as a nationwide issue."
She added: "I have invited families who have been involved to create a tribute in the form of a letter, poem, toy or just flowers for the gates.
"My inspiration for that is my fascination with the public's expression of grief of feelings, the way they find a focus point where they bring tributes to the one they mourn. As people bring more contributions the gates will change, becoming an evolving expression of a shared loss."
Later this year Denise's exhibition is due to tour the country.
She said: "Families from around the country as far away as Scotland and Birmingham have asked that the exhibition be on show in their city.
"We are still working out the logistics of when this will take place and where the gates will, eventually, go on permanent show."
Artists Pam Padmore will exhibit a giant 'seeing' eye, and Valerie Thompson will exhibit a display called Thirst Pieces of Silver. Never Again is open to the public, daily, from 10am-5pm.
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