The Normandy Door

William Adair and the Gilded Doors to Infinity

January - April 2018

The Gilded Doors to Infinity is a multifaceted, ongoing conceptual art project by artist William Adair, where abandoned doors are found and repurposed as “entryways” into landmark historical and cultural events.

According to the artist, each door is a messenger – placed to record the transient voices of individuals within a region and its environs. The process begins by collecting discarded doors, which Adair covers with gold. He then relinquishes them to the public to be written and marked upon: a repository for words and images on an ever-fading, ever-eroding surface. They overlap and abrade yet pay homage to the world’s historical link with gold’s inherent value.

On June 6, 2014, Adair visited Normandy beach for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, where he dedicated a door to all the veterans and fallen soldiers of World War II.

The Normandy Door is currently on display in the Eagle Grille, in an exhibition that includes a number of the artist’s preparatory drawings and sketches inspired by the event.