Bristol history project ends in chocolate smashing event

Artist Luke Jerram said there was a "real excitement" in the room

A project celebrating a city's history has come to a dramatic end with the smashing of giant chocolate sculptures.

Bristol artist Luke Jerram's project, Edible Histories, saw the creation of chocolate replicas including a Concorde plane, a ship's wheel and a gorilla.

It culminated in 10 randomly-selected people breaking up the artworks with hammers and chisels at St George's Hall in Bristol.

Most of the broken chocolate was distributed to the city's food banks.

Marcin Dobrowolski, one of the lucky chocolate smashers, said it was "really exciting" and the smell of chocolate was "really strong".

Neti Licht (R) said it was "really fun" and "more difficult that she thought" to get through the thickness of the chocolate.

Eva Provedel said: "It was great. It was such an exciting and unexpected experience.

"I saw about this chocolate thing and my ears pricked up.

"I never thought in a million years I would be drawn to do this."

The chocolate was smashed at an event at St George's Hall in Bristol

The chocolate was given to attendees, with more distributed at food banks

Leisa Brooking said her mother loved visiting the gorillas in Bristol Zoo, and she also loved taking her children there.

"When I had my children I became a member of the zoo and I'd bring my children regularly to visit and we loved seeing the silverback gorillas.

"Look what we've done to him, poor thing," she said of the smashed chocolate gorilla.

The five objects were wrapped in gold foil

The chocolate smashing was the culmination of a project by Mr Jerram in collaboration with Bristol's museums and other attractions, celebrating the city's culture and history.

The sculptures were made by Zara's Chocolates, a local company which has been making chocolate in Bristol for the last 10 years in Southville.

The objects included the largest chocolate button in history from Glenside Hospital Museum, the chocolate gorilla from Bristol Zoo Project and a chocolate Concorde jet plane from Aerospace Bristol.

Each sculpture weighed more than 100kg and were 1 to 2 metres in size

Mr Jerram said the smashing event was "amazing" with "real excitement" in the room, adding: "It was almost like fireworks."

He said so much time had been spent designing and making the sculptures.

"And (then) exploding and parts flying everywhere in seconds."

The project raised more than £500 in public donations for the Trussell Trust in Bristol.