‘Together as one’ sculpture represents the “frightening but amazing” pandemic

Tuesday 12 October 2021

A sculpture has been installed at Beau Sejour to signify the support of the Bailiwick during the pandemic and was unveiled yesterday by Jo Rocha, who administered the island’s first covid vaccine.

Created by local artist, Mark Cook, ‘Together as One’ is the island’s newest art installation. It reflects the way that Guernsey has responded to the pandemic, and contains inverted rainbows and the crests of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm on each side.

Mr Cook explained that artists find inspiration from the world around them to create artistic responses, and during the first lockdown he wanted to create a response that reflected Guernsey’s reaction to the pandemic, focused towards “the people that were actually supporting all of us, a combination of business, the States and the public.”

Pictured: The creation of the sculpture was made possible by The John Ramplin Trust.

Jo Rocha, who administered the first vaccine on the island, revealed the statue at yesterday’s unveiling. 

“I’m just part of a big team that worked together to get us through to where we are now,” she said. 

“Mark had in mind to choose the person who gave the first vaccine as a way out of the pandemic, I just happened to be the first one, but it could have been any of my colleagues.”

Three local businesses were involved in the construction of the sculpture: Bryony Vivien at Guernsey Glass Craft who produced the stain glass, Lyndon Fox at Granite Le Pelley who was responsible for the granite base, and Adrian Tourtel at Stainless Steel Fabrications Ltd who oversaw the manufacturing of the jig that the panels sit into. 

Pictured: The sculpture was unveiled at Beau Sejour yesterday.

Mr Cook said: “Because it is made of components that need to locate precisely this was a truly collaborative project, and without the skill and expertise of local craftspeople this could not have happened.”

Beau Sejour was the chosen location for the sculpture due to its accessibility and being the heart of the drive to vaccinate the island. 

“We’ve all worked hard to get us to where we are and it’s only because people have taken up the vaccine that we can be where we are now and hopefully out of this very soon and back to our normal lives,” added Ms Rocha.