# Go Superlambananas!

Go Superlambananas! was an art exhibition that took place in Liverpool, England, during the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008. Based upon Taro Chiezo's Superlambanana, which had been located in Liverpool since 1998, the exhibit consisted of 124 two metre high replicas, which were located throughout Liverpool and the surrounding areas. Each mini-Superlambanana was individually designed by local community groups and artists, with a range of public and private sector organisations providing sponsorship funding. The mini-Superlambananas were on display for ten weeks, from June to August 2008.

## Background

The Go Superlambananas! art exhibition was developed and based upon the Superlambanana sculpture that has been located in Liverpool since 1998. The sculpture is a cross between a banana and a lamb, designed by Manhattan-based Japanese artist Taro Chiezo for the 1998 ArtTransPennine Exhibition. Superlambanana's design is also heavily influenced by the history of Liverpool itself, as historically both sheep and bananas were common cargos in the city's docks. The original sculpture weighs almost eight tons and stands 17 feet tall. Throughout its history the sculpture has been located in various areas throughout the city and on occasions even further afield. It currently stands on Tithebarn Street, outside the Liverpool John Moores University Avril Robarts Library/Learning Resource Centre.

## History

The Go Superlambananas! exhibition was developed by the Liverpool Culture Company (LCC), led by its Creative Director Phil Redmond, in partnership with the Wild In Art. As part of the city's Capital of Culture celebrations, the LCC were eager to develop a cultural event in which local people could be involved not just in its consumption, but also its production. The eventual idea settled on, was to build upon the Superlambanana artwork, which had over time come to be recognised as a symbol of Liverpool in itself. As a result, 124 mini-SuperLambananas were created, each of which acted as a blank slate, on which various groups throughout the city could develop and design their own cultural contribution the city's celebrations.

## Auction

At the end of their ten-week run, the mini Superlambananas were auctioned off for the Lord Mayor's charities, with each having a guide price ranging from £3,000 to £8,000. The first of two auctions was held at St George's Hall on the 9 September 2008 with 68 Superlambananas up for sale. In total they sold for £550,000 or approximately £7,800 each, well above estimates. The highest bid on the night was £25,000, paid by the Chairman of National Museums Liverpool for 'Mandy' Mandala Superlambanana, designed and created by Cheshire artist Patricia Lee, whilst Phil Redmond, creative director of the Liverpool Culture Company, purchased four lots for a total of £55,000. Other notable purchasers included comedian John Bishop, playwright Fred Lawless and Big Brother star Craig Phillips. A second, internet-based auction took place on 16 September 2008 with 25% of the proceeds going to charity.

## Exhibits

124 replica superlambananas were created as part of the exhibition. Each one was designed and sponsored by different organisations and subsequently located throughout the city and in some instances further afield.

### Liverpool City Centre

| Name | Artist(s) | Sponsor(s) | Location |
| 24hoursuperlambanana | Debbie Ryan | '08 Business Connect | Clayton Square |
| Art Vandelist | Artvandelay.com | PS Collective | East Village, Duke Street |
| Atlambtic Companion | Nicola McGovern | Atlantic Container Line | Prince's Dock |
| B of the Baa | Phil Costello | Northwest Regional Development Agency | Exchange Flags |
| Baa Baa Braille Sheep | Jola Kurzeja-Ryan; students from the National Blind Children's Society | Merseytravel | Liverpool Lime Street station |
| Baa-ve New World | Sally Olding | Liverpool Vision | Liverpool Town Hall |
| BackBitternBanana | Sophie Bower; Kathryn Pattullo | Liverpool School of Art and Design, Liverpool JMU | Metropolitan Cathedral |
| Banana Rock | Christine O'Reilly Wilson | Aggregate Industries | The Strand |
| Beryl Sebastian | Youndaddaction; Liverpool Youth Advisory Group; Sophie Backhouse; Ian Town | Youngaddaction Liverpool | Clayton Square |
| Bloomin' Lamb Banana | Lower Lee School | Woolton in Bloom; Woolton Educational and Recreational Trust | Woolton Street |
| Cargo | Phillip Marsden | St George's Hall, Liverpool City Council | St George's Hall |
| Chops | Alix Dryden | Northwest Regional Development Agency | Exchange Flags |
| Commercial District Skyline | David Flanning | Liverpool Commercial District Partnership | St Paul's Square |
| Deerlamboltnana | T.J. Dolan | Wild In Art | East Village, Duke Street |
| Ewes Water Wisely | Lisa Parry; Christian Ewen | United Utilities | Albert Dock, City Centre |
| Fire Cracker to Martian Skies | Laurence Payot | Utility | Bold Street |
| First Past the Post | Pamela Holstein | Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Old Hall Street, City Centre |
| Flora | Rosalind Hargreaves | Northwest Regional Development Agency | Exchange Flags |
| Friendship Forever | Jessica Gardiner; Benjamin Small | St John's Shopping Centre | St John's Shopping Centre |
| Green Lamb | Ed Butler; Julian Taylor | Holiday Inn | Holiday Inn, Lime Street |
| Herd Days Night | Mark Jones | Maghull Developments | Hope Street |
| Homer | Kim Tan; Creative Services; Liverpool City Council | Liverpool Mutual Homes; Fusion 21 | Wellington Column, Lime Street, City Centre |
| I love Granadaland | Laura McCreesh; Mike Badger | ITV Granada | Metquarter, City Centre |
| Kenny the Superlamb | Barbara Galt; Children from Kensington | City and North Neighbourhood Management Services | Hall Lane, Kensington |
| Koppy | Graham Berry; the Apple Agency | Adidas | LFC Shop, Liverpool One, City Centre |
| Lamb-bassador | Anna Povall; Benjamin Small | World Firefighter Games 2008 | Echo Arena, City Centre |
| Lambline | Rachael Ward | Merseytravel | James Street station, City Centre |
| Lamsa | Katriona Beales; Finoon Saleh | The Bluecoat Society | Bluecoat Chambers |
| Light Exposure, Light Emission | Smiling Wolf | Balfour Beatty | The Strand, City Centre |
| Loop of Life | Mike Curtis | Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts | Crowne Plaza, Prince's Dock, City Centre |
| Mandy Mandala Superlambanana | Patricia Lee; Arts in Regeneration; residents of Granby, Toxteth and Dingle | South Central Management Team; Liverpool City Council | Formerly Princes Boulevard, later Museum of Liverpool |
| Mona | Charlotte Brown | English Cities Fund | St Paul's Square, City Centre |
| Monument to the Superlambanana | Andrew Jackson | Public Monuments and Sculpture Association | World Museum Liverpool, William Brown Street |
| Our George | Liverpool O8 Volunteers; KECS Creative Community Arts | 08 Welcome; Liverpool Culture Company | St George's Plateau |
| Our Working Community | Holly Langley | North West TUC | Wellington Column, St George's Plateau |
| Pete Price's Super Laugh Banana | Pete Price; Phillip Marsden | Liverpool Daily Post; Liverpool Echo | Metquarter, City Centre |
| Petite Fleur | Helen Marie-Gilmour | Metquarter | Metquarter, City Centre |
| Portraits | Clair Freeman | WT Jenkins | Albert Dock, City Centre |
| Purple Sky at Night | Alex Jackson | Wrenco | Hope Street |
| Push Me Pull Ewe | Phillip Marsden; Ben Cook | Sayers | St John's Shopping Centre |
| Reflectana | Annabel Wakefield | Kier Construction | Debenhams, Liverpool One, City Centre |
| Rocksy | Ben Cook | Northwest Regional Development Agency | Exchange Flags, City Centre |
| Roy G Biv | Olivia Simpson | DCT Civil Engineering | The Strand |
| Savio the Superlambanana | Kerry Hunt; Savio High School | Alliance & Leicester | St Paul's Square, City Centre |
| Sgt Pepper | Liverpool Hope University fine art and design students | Hard Day's Night Hotel | Blakes Restaurant, North John Street, City Centre |
| Super 'WiFi' Lambananafon | Jon Wood; Gareth Shuttleworth; Chimp Creative | BT/Fon | Echo Arena, City Centre |
| Superabbeyroadbanana | Vince Cleghorne; Kensington Youth Inclusion Project | Kier North West | Brownlow Hill |
| SuperChaiseLongueBanana | Leanne Wookey; Team a go-go; Julian Taylor; J&A upholstery | Bruntwood | Radisson SAS Hotel, Old Hall Street, City Centre |
| Superchromebanana | Stephen Heaton; Lawn Creative; Lloyds Autobody | Jurys Inn | Kings Waterfront, City Centre |
| Superconnectedlambanana | Alison Little | BT Openzone Wireless Broadband | British Home Stores, Lord Street |
| SuperCottonwoolbanana | Kate Bedford | Bruntwood | Cotton Exchange, City Centre |
| Superfitbanana | Shape Design | Lifestyles Fitness Centre | Millenium House, Whitechapel |
| Superfive-a-daybanana | Vince Cleghorne; Kensington Junior Youth Inclusion Project | National Museums Liverpool | Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street |
| Supergrassbanana | Stephen Heaton; Lawn Creative; Julian Taylor | Hill Dickinson Lawyers | Old Hall Street |
| Superkalazarbanana | Ektor Diaz; Rod Dillon | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Pembroke Place |
| Superlamba-x-ray and child | Dominic Foster; Ashlea Haynes; Liverpool Hope University fine arts student | Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust | Liverpool Women's Hospital |
| Superlambananaleaves | Alison Little | Brock Carmichael Architects; BCA Landscape and Project Services | Cotton Exchange, City Centre |
| Superlambananatree | Amanda Oliphant | Virgin Trains West Coast | Liverpool Lime Street station |
| Superlambgranada | Mark Nuttall | ITV Granada | Liverpool One, City Centre |
| Superlambswoolbanana | Ian Town | Wild in Art | 08 Place, 36-38 Whitechapel |
| SuperLawbanana | Clare Gammond; Jeanne-Marie Kenny | Hill Dickinson Lawyers | Old Hall Street, City Centre |
| SuperLewis'sLamb 152 | Lewis's Visual Team | Lewis's | Lewis's Department Store |
| SuperLightBanana | Lisa Rostron; Lawn Creative; Julian J Taylor | 2020 Liverpool | St George's Hall |
| Superlordmayorlambanana | Brian Hanlon | Liverpool City Council | Liverpool Town Hall, City Centre |
| SuperLoveBanana | Anna Benson | Liverpool Registration Services | Cotton Exchange, City Centre |
| SuperPlazaLambanana | Kate Bedford | Bruntwood | The Plaza, Old Hall Street, City Centre |
| SuperRoyalambanana | Kate Bedford | Bruntwood | Queens Arcade, Castle Street, City Centre |
| SuperSgtPepperYellowSubmarineBanana | Paul McKay | Alliance & Leicester | Albert Dock, City Centre |
| SuperStudentlambanana | Jeanne-Marie Kenny | University of Liverpool | Brownlow Hill |
| SuperWagBagBanana | Nook and Willow; John McNally | Liverpool City Central Business Improvement District | Houghton Street, City Centre |
| Sushi, Lamb Tempurabanana Table 5 now!! | Linda Barlow | Sapparo Teppanyaki | Echo Arena, City Centre |
| The Best of British | Mark Garrod | Cains | Cains Brewery |
| The Loving Lamb | Annemarie Read | Greater Merseyside Learning Providers Federation | Berry Street |
| The North End | Claire Stringer; Trinity RC Primary School | Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council | NSPCC, Great Homer Street |
| The Rope Walker | BDP; Shape Design | BDP | St Peter's Square |
| Top Banana | Finch and Candida Boyes | Rumford Investments | 20 Chapel Street, City Centre |
| Twinkle | The Langhorne Family | Malmaisson | Malmaisson, Prince's Dock, City Centre |
| Twinny Lambanana | KECS Creative Community Arts | European Year of Intercultural | Hope Street |
| United Lambanana | Lisa Parry; Rachel Teare | United Utilities | Albert Dock, City Centre |
| Working Towards the Future | Mike Badger; St Matthew's Primary School; St Mary's Primary School | Portemps People Development Group | Church Street |
| Yellow Superlambanana in a cage 2008 | Uniform | Uniform | Arthouse Square |
| Zip | Janice Egerton | Liverpool Hope University | The Cornerstone Building |

### North Liverpool

| Name | Artist(s) | Sponsor(s) | Location |
| Blueberry Banana | Debbie Ryan; Blueberry Park Primary School | Berrybridge Housing Association | Blueberry School, Ackers Hall Avenue |
| Both Sides of the Baaas | Pauly Riley; students from NOCN Art Programme | HM Prison Liverpool | HM Prison Liverpool, Walton |
| Bridge-it | Louise Wood; Clubmoor Youth Centre | Art Valley Neighbourhood Management Services | Clubmoor Youth Centre, Larkhill Lane |
| Cobanana | Cobalt Youth Board; Andrew Weston | Cobalt Housing | Lower House Lane and Utting Avenue |
| Fazakerly Night Fever | Vik | Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Aintree Hospital |
| Fizz | Sharon Mutch; Fazakerley 506 Detached Youth Project | Cobalt Housing | Fazakerley Community Federation |
| It's Just a Superlambanana | Harry Harris | Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool | Community Justice Centre, Vauxhall |
| Peekaboo Newsham Superlambanana | AiR Associates; Communities of North Liverpool | Arts in Regeneration and Newsham; Adult Learning Services | Newsham Park, Newsham Drive |
| Rocking Superlambanana | Alex Corina | Wild in Art; Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital Alder Hey Imagine Appeal | Royal Liverpool Hospital Alder Hey |
| Stanley | Vince Cleghorne; Hugh Baird College | Evolve Neighbourhood Regeneration; Hugh Baird College | Hugh Baird College, Stanley Road |
| Starry Sunflower | Alan Murray | Cosmopolitan Housing Group | Olive Mount Gardens, Wavertree |
| Super St. Domingo Lamb Banana | Candida Boyes | Everton Football Club | Goodison Park |
| SuperFanBanana | Steve Rooney; Sue Williams; Liverpool Royal School for the Blind | Liverpool Football Club | Anfield, Anfield Road |
| SuperConeBanana | Jacqueline Boylan | Open Culture | ICDC, Edge Lane |
| Superlidbanana | Nicki McCubbing; Orrell Park Youth Club | Alt Valley Neighbourhood Management Services | Black Bull Pub, Cedar Road |
| Tinky | Neil Keating; Alsop High School | Liverpool Housing Trust | Walton-on-the-Hill Church |

### South Liverpool

| Name | Artist(s) | Sponsor(s) | Location |
| Colours of Hope | Laura Cheston; St Jerome's Primary School | Liverpool Hope University | Taggart Lodge, Hope Park |
| Generation 21 | Toxteth Learning Networks School; Roz Hyde | Liverpool Healthy Cities | Aigburth Road |
| Happy Feet | Julie Edwards; Hunts Cross Primary School | Liverpool City Council | Park near Hunts Cross Library |
| LambMapBanana | Claire Stringer | South Central Management Team; Liverpool City Council | Allerton Library |
| Peel | Lisa Parry; Ben Cook | Riverside Group | Speke Boulevard |
| Springy | Springwood Heath Primary School | Liverpool City Council | Springwood Heath Primary School, Danefield Road |
| Superbeezbuzzbyawildlambanana | Jan Bell; Caroline Hunt | HLF Wildflower Heroes Project | National Wildflower Centre |
| SuperLarryLambanana | Mike Badger; Lawrence Community Primary School | Riverside Group | Picton Children's Centre, Lawrence Road |
| The Big Hope | Big Hope delegates | Liverpool Hope University | The Gateway, Hope Park |
| The Lee Valley CAAT | Holly Langley; Belle Vale and Naylorsfield Community Association | Lee Valley Housing Association | Belle Vale Shopping Centre |
| Tudorlambanana | Gateacre C.C. School; KECS Creative | Friends of Gateacre; Gateacre C.C. School | Gateacre Village |
| Urbananasplash | Julian Taylor | Urban Splash | Matchworks |
| World Changer | Hannah Marshall | Frontline Church | Frontline Centre, Lawrence Road |
| Youth Division | Wade Deacon Arts Team; Sophie Backhouse; Ian Town | BBC North West Tonight; Arts Council England North West | Speke Boulevard |

### Rest of Merseyside

| Name | Artist(s) | Sponsor(s) | Location |
| Cloudorama | Paul Cousins | Lady Lever Art Gallery | Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight |
| Culture Chalk | Jacqueline Boylan | The Grange; Pyramids Shopping Centre | Pyramids Shopping Centre, Wirral |
| Flora Lambanana | Rosalind J Hargreaves | Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council | Birkenhead Park, Wirral |
| Past Port to the Future | Clair Freeman | Port Sunlight Museum and Garden Village | Port Sunlight Vision Museum, Wirral |
| Rover | Candida Boyes | Tranmere Rovers | Prenton Park, Wirral |
| SuperStegbanana | Mark Hendry; Team a-go-go; Ben Cook | Ness Gardens; University of Liverpool | Ness Gardens, Wirral |
| Tiger in the Woods | Candida Boyes | Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, Liverpool Culture Company | Coastal Road and Shore Road, Ainsdale |

### Outside Merseyside

| Name | Artist(s) | Sponsor(s) | Location |
| Lovemedoodle | Adam Pitt | Virgin Trains West Coast | London Euston station (and later Liverpool Lime Street station) |
| Smiley Lamb | Alex Austin; Emily Lansley | Halton Borough Council | Runcorn station |
| The Highest Superlambanana | Students from Flintshire and Denbighshire schools | Denbighshire County Council | Moel Famau Country Park |
| The Superlambridge | Joanne Kelly; Emily Lansley | Halton Borough Council | Runcorn station |