In 2012, Southwark Council appointed the Contemporary Art Society to manage the artist commissioning process for a new artwork for Dulwich Park. The commission was a legacy to Barbara Hepworth's, 'Three Forms Divided' stolen from the park in 2011. Following a public consultation and deliberation by the Dulwich Park Commission Steering Group, Conrad Shawcross was selected to create the new commission, which honours the original sculpture by Barbara Hepworth. His design, Three Perpetual Chords: Fifth-3:2, Octave- 2:1 and Fourth-4:3 (2015) was selected from a shortlist also including proposals by artists Anya Galaccio, Ryan Gander and Eva Rothschild. The design is a series of three cast iron sculptures, each created in relation to the mathematical patterns found in music. The artist describes these forms as “visual descriptions of musical chords.” Roughly human height, the sculptures are sequenced, leading visitors through an unexpected series of encounters in the park.
