Artist hosts celebration of Olympics – with bells on

AN award-winning artist is to mark the opening of this year’s Olympic Games by staging a mass bell-ringing in the 
Capital.

Martin Creed has called for people to gather at the Scotsman Steps just after 8am on Friday, when they will ring bells for three minutes to celebrate the 2012 Games.

Participants will meet at the Fruitmarket Gallery before choosing the step on which they will ring their bell as part of the nationwide celebration.

Called “Work No. 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes”, the project met with controversy after the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers called it “misconceived”.

Turner Prize winner Mr Creed said: “Whenever I’ve heard bells ringing, when there’s a wedding or stuff like that, I thought it was brilliant. I thought this is a piece of music which has been arranged for this special occasion.”