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Another piece of public art has
been installed in Joburg's inner city, adding to its growing collection of
beautiful sculptures.
THE pigeons are settling nicely
into their new home in Pigeon
Square in the CBD, lording it over the square and
the other pigeons.
Work on the steel sculpture, Paper Pigeon
The three "origami-like pigeons"
are three metres tall, standing in the triangle at the intersection of Main and
Main Reef roads in Ferreirasdorp, just a block from Joburg's original Chinatown in Commissioner
Street. This is a favourite spot of dozens of
pigeons, which are fed by the local community.
When the call was made in March
this year for proposals for a public artwork for the square, over 40
applications were received. Selected from five finalists, the winner was
Gerhard and Maja Marx, with their outsized steel pigeon sculpture entitled
Paper Pigeon.
"Constructed from steel, these
large pigeons reference the oriental paper folding technique known as origami,
homage to the oriental and Chinese community that has played a significant role
in this part of the city," say the artists in a statement.
Gerhard Marx says the sculpture
is "looking great" in the square.
The public artwork is intended as
a city marker aimed specifically at vehicular traffic. The pigeons in the
square were to be considered in the creation of the artwork, while it had to be
robust and vandal-resistant, with a 20-year lifespan. The artwork is to mark
the western entrance for vehicles into the inner city.
"The sculpture highlights the
iconic presence of pigeons on Pigeon Square, not only in its visual reference
to the pigeon as image, but also in serving as a perching pedestal for the vast
resident pigeon community of Ferreirasdorp," say the artists.
Perching rods have been attached
to the sculpture, and the "darker shapes of the seated birds will complete the
recognisable tonal markings of the Paper Pigeon sculpture".
Installed this week, Gerhard Marx
says that already the real pigeons are sitting on the rods, after being upset
by workmen disrupting their usual daily feeding spot.
"Having the pigeons sitting on
the sculpture has added to the finality of it," he says. "It's part of the choreography
of the sculpture."
Historical and physical elements
The work had to take into account the historical and physical elements of the
site, as well as the surrounding buildings. Landmark buildings in the immediate
area include the Family Court, the Tramway
Building, the City's department
of arts and culture building, the Joburg Art Bank, Turbine Hall, the Bus
Factory, and the Joburg Central Police Station.
"The pigeon is primarily famed
for its profound homing ability, known as a messenger, and this focus on the
home and community is appropriate to both its position in front of the Family
Court and to those who enter or return to the city from its western side."
Marx adds that the sculpture also
symbolises the centuries-old relationship between humans and pigeons.
The artists started work on the
piece on May, and expect the installation to be completed by next week.
They have done other public
artworks for the City. Maja Marx collaborated on a work called the Optic Garden
on Houghton Drive Gateway, together with 26'10 south Architects, and
commissioned by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).
Gerhard Marx collaborated on the
striking Fire Walker with William Kentridge, unveiled at the end of July this
year, also sponsored by the JDA.
Judges for Paper Pigeon were
drawn from staff at the JDA, the City, the University of the Witwatersrand, the
University of Johannesburg, and independent art
consultants.
About R500 000 was spent by the
JDA on the sculpture, says Sophia Ndhlovu, the development co-ordinator at the agency.
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