Damien Hirst's pregnant woman sculpture will tower over Ilfracombe

How the statue might look in Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe Town Council has voted a resounding yes to the offer of a sculpture by Damien Hirst on a 20-year loan to the town. The bronze artwork shows a naked pregnant woman holding a sword and will be sited in the harbour. At 66-feet high (20 metres) it will be marginally taller than the Angel of the North (doesn't everything have to be these days?) and has, perhaps inevitably, been nicknamed 'the Belly of the South'.

The work has been hailed as a tourism opportunity for the town. John Brown, chairman of the Ilfracombe Tourism and District Association said, 'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that can only increase visitor numbers. Tourism is the lifeblood of this town and must be supported in any way it can be.'  

The planning application states that the sculpture will be placed on a bronze plinth of legal books and is envisioned as "a monumental modern allegory of Truth and Justice".

North Devon District Council now need to approve the plans.

Damien Hirst already owns a restaurant in Ilfracombe, 11 The Quay, has a home near Combe Martin, and has previously submitted a planning application for a development of ecohomes in the area, although it is claimed the artwork and the development are not linked. (See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/9086620/Damien-Hirst-to-build-500-eco-homes.html )

You can watch a video about the proposed artwork here: http://vimeo.com/45117056

You can read the heritage statement here:

http://planning.northdevon.gov.uk/liveupload/Scanned%20-%2050k/54294/54294_Heritage-Statement_120628.pdf

Read the Telegraph article here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/9369419/Damien-Hirsts-giant-pregnant-woman-to-hit-Ilfracombe.html

The local paper have drummed up a bit of criticism too:

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Ilfracombe-says-yes-Damien-Hirst-s-60ft-Belly/story-16561918-detail/story.html

OSA transform Piccadilly Basin into water park

Artists and architects OSA have recently helped to transform an area of Manchester during the Olympic Games through the project Atelier [zero].

Atelier [zero] took the form of a design competition that brought together architecture students from Manchester School of Architecture and Ecole Speciale d'Architecture to design and realise the project, which aims to 'inspire play'.

According to the press release:
'The project acts as a platform for social exchange....Opportunities to take part in Atelier[zero] include rowing sessions on the basin, basketball, new sporting activities and a chance to occupy/take ownership of Olympic village accommodation.'

I'm not sure where the swan pedalo features in the Olympics but hey, it looks like fun. Possibly even more fun than actual sport.

The project launched on 23rd June and will remain in place until September 2nd 2012. Activities are for all ages and all events are free of charge.

You can watch a promo video here: http://vimeo.com/jtaylorfoster/atelierpromotionalfilm and there are some nice time lapse vids too: http://vimeo.com/44580312

Find out more on the website: http://projectofficeatelier.com/

Yinka Shonibare's ballerina appears outside the Royal Opera House

Yinka Shonibare's ballerina at the Royal Opera House

Yinka Shonibare's Globe Head Ballerina sculpture has recently been launched at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. The animated artwork (the dancer will twirl around inside its' 'bubble') stands on the corner of Russell Street and is sited high up on the building's facade.

The dancer, whose body is modelled on a sculpture of the real dancer Melissa Hamilton (from the Royal Ballet) will pirouette parallel to the pavement below, and on her shoulders in place of a head is a turning Victorian globe of the world. The pose itself was inspired by a photograph of dancer Margot Fonteyn.

The sphere surrounding the dancer was made by a firm in Italy that specialises in aquariums, who also made the gigantic bottle to hold Shonibare's scale model of Nelson's HMS Victory, which after its display on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is now a permanent fixture at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. 

The artwork is due to remain in place for at least the next five years, and has been produced by UP Projects.

I can't find a photo of the artwork in situ (it was due to open today at 12noon) so it might still be in the process of installation - I'm guessing the one above shows the work in the artist's studio. When I find one I'll add it to the blog.

To read more, visit UP's website: http://www.upprojects.com/portfolio/current/globe-head-ballerina----by-yinka-shonibare-mbe/28 or read Maev Kennedy's article on the Guardian website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/jun/19/yinka-shonibare-ballerina-covent-garden?INTCMP=SRCH 

Ross Lovegrove's Solar Tree in London for the summer

Solar Tree by Ross Lovegrove at Clerkenwell Design Week. Photo by Ashley Bingham

I'm sure there will be people who argue that Ross Lovegrove's Solar Tree is design and not public art, but whatever they are, they are in public space and I think they are beautiful enough to be an artwork. Much more so than many artworks, in fact.

The Solar Tree has been shown all around the world and was brought to London to coincide with Clerkenwell Design Week in May. However, it will remain on display throughout the Olympics and Paralympics in St John's Square (EC1) until late September 2012.

Photo: Ashley Bingham

The light was made by Italian lighting brand Artemide, and according to Ross's website:

'The Solar Tree has an embedded artificial intelligence controlling its energy and light. The LED lights are switched on automatically when night falls and the A.I. balances the light intensity, depending on the batteries energy level and the natural night-light conditions.

The Solar Tree has been developed to work “off grid”, as well as being connected to the ‘grid’ to feedback excess energy. In an “off grid” situation, the solar tree has an energy independency to expel light for 3 days.'

To read the full press release visit: http://www.rosslovegrove.com/index.php/solar-tree-clerkenwell-design-week/

Sarah Sze High Line artwork finally comes down

Still Life with Path (Model for Habitat) by Sarah Sze

I'm really sorry to have missed this artwork by New York-based artist Sarah Sze on the famous High Line in New York. (To read more about the High Line scroll further down the page.) Still Life with Path (Model for Habitat) was a temporary installation that has been on display for a year (since June 2011). The elegant, spare design plays with the idea of receding perspectives and vanishing points. The artwork also incorporates fruit and bird seed for the birds and butterflies to feed and rest on.

There's a short film about the artwork here:

You can read a full article about the project here:

http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2012/06/06/last-chance-to-see-sarah-sze’s-sculpture-on-the-high-line?enews061812

The commission is part of the High Line Art commissioning programme which has been running since 2009. One of the current projects is a billboard commission by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari. You can read more about current and past commissions here: http://www.thehighline.org/about/public-art Previous artists commissioned include Spencer Finch and Thomas Houseago.

Another current commission is the group exhibition Lilliput which will run until April 2013 and forms a trail of miniature sculptures (as its name would suggest!) along the High Line.

About the High Line, from their website:

'The High Line is a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. It is now the non-profit conservancy working with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to make sure the High Line is maintained as an extraordinary public space for all visitors to enjoy. In addition to overseeing maintenance, operations, and public programming for the park, Friends of the High Line works to raise the essential private funds to support more than 90 percent of the park’s annual operating budget, and to advocate for the preservation and transformation of the High Line at the Rail Yards, the third and final section of the historic structure, which runs between West 30th and West 34th Streets.'

It currently runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. The first section of the High Line opened on June 9, 2009, and runs from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street. The second section, which runs between West 20th and West 30th Streets, opened June 8, 2011.

Versailles commission Joana Vasconcelos

A computer rendering of Marilyn, 2011 by Joana Vasconcelos

The Art Newspaper has published an article which reveals the next commission at the Chateau de Versailles by Joana Vasconcelos, following the previous display of work by Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons in the rather over-the-top palace surroundings.


Portugese artist Joana Vasconcelos will be producing a pair of high heeled shoes made out of saucepans, standing nearly 3 metres high, for display in the Hall of Mirrors. She will also envelop a pair of marble lions in crochet in the Queen's guard room. Wonder if she's heard about the crochet lions being produced for 2012?

Happy family, 2006 by Joana Vasconcelos, an example of her beautiful crochet work

According to a press statement, the work is intended as an “ode to women’s achievements both in the private and public spheres”, and is juxtaposed with Charles LeBrun’s very male depiction of battle glory in the ceiling paintings and medallions of the hall. 


Vasconcelos became well known for her 2005 contribution to the Venice Biennale, A Noiva (The Bride), a giant chandelier made of more than 25,000 tampons.

A Noiva

There are lots of beautiful examples of Vasconcelos's work at: 
http://lovelytextiles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/joana-vasconcelos.html


To find out opening times, visit: www.chateauversailles.fr


To read the full article on the Art Newspaper website, visit: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/whatson/event/Vasconcelos-Versailles/1123591/?keyword=queen
www.chateauversailles.fr

Creative Review publishes Scott King balloon proposal article

Long Live Death by Scott King

Creative Review have published an interesting article about artist and former graphic designer Scott King who has a rather critical view of public art and whose own satirical work often comments on it.


http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/may/a-balloon-for-britain


According to King, the balloon proposal runs as follows:
"I imagine myself to be a government employed 'think-tank' that has come up with the idea of floating gigantic party balloons (low level) over Britain's ten poorest towns and cities in order to lift flagging spirits and encourage re-generation," 


Scott's work Long Live Death proposes that the Angel of the North be relocated to Trafalgar Square (because it's wasted in the north) and he once collected a thousand votes for a 300ft gold-plated statue of Lee Brilleaux (the frontman of Dr Feelgood) on Southend seafront - see:  http://focalpoint.org.uk/e-petition/ 

Worth a read. A shame most of the people who added comments at the end didn't seem to realise the balloons proposal was satirical, but never mind eh.