Public Art

Ido Almog, Ethan Glaze, Daniel PIM Martinez

Hand of God
By Lorenzo Quinn

Artist: Lorenzo Quinn

Hand of God

Location: Installed on Park Lane, Mayfair London, England

Date Erected: August 21st, 2011
Funding: Selected by Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of The State
Hermitage Museum for exhibition until end of September 2011.
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Successfully raised 200,000 ($217,226) for multiple

charities who are committed to restoring and protecting
nature through diverse projects around the world.

Physical Description: Hand of God is a 4m long, 400 kg

sculpture, cast in aluminium from a mould using the sand cast
process.

Interpretation and analysis

- Hand of God is a visually symbolic piece representing a life
journey filled with all kinds of strong emotions
- The piece encapsulates moments of self-doubt and fear
and visually conveys what it is to be human. Many of
Quinn's sculptures exemplify our continuous path towards
finding balance in life. In his work, he often uses a
recurring theme of human hands, stating, "Hands are part of
a universal language, they transcend borders." The
recognizable form provides a commonality with which
viewers are able to identify, allowing every culture to
connect with the work on a basic level.

Perspectives
Quinns Hand of God
sculpture is a clear example
of the relationship between
the real and transcendental.
It is about our ultimate
search for a life of
spirituality... His figures, and
particularly his hands, are
works that explore what is
most human. - Consuelo
Cscar Casabn Director,
Instituto Valenciano de Arte
Moderno (IVAM)

It is the viewer that interests me not the art

critic I make art for myself and the people
who wish to come along for a ride through my
dreams. - Quinn
This is a rare and exciting opportunity for
people to see one of Lorenzo Quinns
installations that have been seen across
the globe. Quinns pieces are
internationally recognised and admired for
being flawless. Each piece delivers a
message to the audience and the power to
evoke strong emotions. - Katrina Aris,
Castle Fine Art, Royal Exchanges gallery
manager

Bigger Picture (argument)

- It is a value to the community
- This piece is more about the aesthetic...
- limitation: Even though not everyone is
a religious person..
- couldn't find negative perspectives

The Juta Street Trees

Designed by: Claire Regnard

Context
- Long history of racial segregation; leading to deeply
ingrained racism

- Segregation no longer institutionalized

- Feel unsafe in public space

- Safety of home, into social environment

Details about the Juta Street Trees

- Offshoot of the developing Cultural
Arc
- Funded by the Johannesburg Development
Agency
- Designed by Claire Regnard and students
- Made to be interacted with
- Trees change greatly in different
lighting
- There are now 25 trees

Johannesburg and the JDA

Johannesburg:
-

Largest city in South Africa

Covers approx. 2,000 kilometers

Population of 4.4 million

JDA:
Their mission is to develop, and
nurture, the growing economy of the
city, and its metro area.
-

Spent 9.8 billion

40% from city of Johannesburg
rest from intergovernmental
grants

JDA and Public Art

JDA operates under the belief that public art is essential to bringing beauty
into an otherwise harsh urban environment
-

spends 1% of all projects costing over $10 million on public art

spent 19.5 million on 680 public art pieces within 9 years

Their role in Public art:

-

leads in identifying challenges of production

manages conceptualizing, and commissioning of public art

Perspectives
Polls from JDAs Public Art Strategy 2011-2016
Does Art improve the way the area looks?
-

78% yes

Does art improve the perception of the area?

-

71% yes

The regeneration of Braamfontein has had a ripple effect on shopkeepers along

Jorissen Street - they are sprucing up their shop fronts, extending their
hours, and in some cases, bringing tables and chairs out on to the pavements
for outdoor eating

Arguement
-

Brings homey environment into downtown spaces

brings element of beauty to rejuvenation of downtown
Community overwhelmingly approves of the art
however, shouldnt overplay importance of art

La geometra de la conciencia
(The geometry of conscience)
Alfredo Jaar

Background Information
Architects: Alfredo Jaar and Jorge Dalmazzo
Location: The Museum of Memory and Human Rights in
Santiago, Chile
Project Year: 2010
Funding: Government of Chile; Directorate of Libraries,
Archives and Museums. Ministry of Public Works.
-

Total: $1,192,783,267 | Architecture: $22,239,959

Description: Underground memorial. Steps lead to a pitch

black room (access is limited) and then suddenly 500
silhouettes light up.

Context
-

The memorial is for the victims of the 17 year long

Pinochet military dictatorship
Each of the 500 silhouettes are unique and
identifiable
Half of the silhouettes in Jaars memorial represent
living Chileans while the others represent those
who are no longer living

Perspectives
Jaar, a Chilean, is highly acclaimed for his work in film,
photography, and public interventions, which frequently include
light boxes. He represented Chile in the 55th Venice Biennale. Joe Hart
A memorial not for victims only but rather for the 17 million
Chileans who are alive today and trying to retrace their common
history, -Capucine Gros
The after-image effect imprints their retinas with a million dots
of light and physically embeds the silhouettes into the audiences
visual memory. -Capucine Gros
The Geometry of Conscience was a finalist for the second
International Award for Public Art

Argument
-

Allows Chileans to bring their history to light in an intimate way

Increases traffic to the museum
Promotes educational initiatives
Encourages knowledge and reflection
Will help prevent a recurrence of such atrocities