I usually run with a theme. As I have mentioned before my city has a lot of public art. I like some pieces, I love others, some I dislike and some I don't understand - but I love that they are there. When I heard that a new piece had been installed in the city I had to go see. The new statue was called Big Swoop and was by Yanni Pounartzis and depicted a magpie enjoying a potato chip. I love our magpies and have often seen them begging for and gobbling down chips. This is what I saw.
Sadly our beautiful magpie was behind a flimsy barricade. Less than twenty fours hours after it was installed it was vandalised - and the following weekend it was hit again and has now been removed. My usual mantra of 'hiss and spit' at things that displease me doesn't begin to cover my feelings. I am appalled and hope that it can be repaired and replaced somewhere where it is safe from the oxygen thieves who targeted it. And I also hope that karma pecks them firmly in sensitive places.
Quite close to the magpie there was another statue which is new to me.
It is called Kin by Edison Chen. Kinsugi is a Japanese practice of repairing broken objects with precious metals to 'heal and embrace the damage of the past'. This sculpture is of a human torso looking upwards with cracks which I believe emit a golden light at night. I will have to come back and check on that later. Kin is apparently designed to invite viewers to contemplate the artwork's symbol of healing and, by extension, their own process of recovery.
There are apparently some new murals in and around the city centre too. I looked for them, but could not find them. I did find some more colour though.
This is at one of the mall entrances - and disturbs my sensitive tummy. I like the colour but....
I will keep hunting for the new murals. Watch this space.
I hope your weeks are packed with colour and whimsy - and vandal free.