Mene Mene

Various locations in Leeds city centre
Mixed media
2005

Photograph: Jonty Wilde

A collaborative art project by Pippa Hale, David Hawkins (Bishop of Barking) and Stuart Tarbuck (marketing and communications strategist) for Situation Leeds.

Mene Mene located 13 texts in various formats around Leeds city centre such as CELEBRATE WITH ME, MEN FAINTING WITH FEAR and GO THROW YOURSELF INTO THE SEA. The statements were drawn from New Testament texts and filtered throughout the city in a variety of formats from high profile banners and adverts on bus shelters, to more intimate plaques on benches and handwritten signs. Some were affirming and instructive, whilst others are more predictive and challenging.

Much of civic life is underpinned by a legal and moral framework which has historically drawn upon Christian themes for its legitimacy. Mene Mene investigated the relevance of ancient religious language in a contemporary city of ethnic and faith diversity by recommitting words back into the public arena. It embraced an open and diverse interpretation of phrases which have been subsumed into our everyday language, whilst at the same time prising open a local space usually dominated by global marketing to provide a place to think.

The project is accompanied by a full colour catalogue (ISBN 0-9550217-2-3) including images of all works in situ and an essay by Stephen Feeke.