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Antony Gormley's Case for an Angel I at the British Museum

Antony Gormley speaks of how the British Museum has been the foundation of what sculpture means to him. Neil MacGregor (Director of the British Museum) reflects on how Gormley's work and countless examples in the Museum's sculpture collection, one of the greatest in the world, have the aspiration to be much more than just human. © Trustees of the British Museum. Created by British Museum.

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Video transcript

I'll never forget coming here with my debt I must do mean about six and that was the first time I saw the gray wing Bulls and the head of Ramses and since that time you know this place has been the foundation of what sculpture means for me the attempt to make some account of human existence in geological time nobody's seen an angel we have to keep imagining them and that's what I've done with this piece this museum is full of things that bring Wonder and awe to everyday experience and I guess that's what I wanted to do what is wonder about coming straight in the age of the north is it's made very clear to entry one of the great sculpture collections of the world and that that sculpture has always been about being more than be human and the engine all sets that to make right away that it's about the human form but it's all about an aspiration to be much more than just human the British Museum is a fantastic place where objects from all over the world from deep deep history can talk to each other and talk to us you you