Alliance (sculpture)
Encyclopedia
Alliance is a 25 metres (82 ft) high sculpture in the centre
of Cardiff
, Wales
. The sculpture consists of a large stainless steel and enamelled metal arrow column and a hoop, which glows in the dark, and falls and rises with the tide.
The sculpture, paid for by the St David’s shopping centre as part of a £1.5m public art scheme in the city centre, was installed in the space between the new mall and Cardiff Central Library
in The Hayes
area of the city centre.
The hoop is partially submerged below the pavement and a mechanism is programmed to make it rise and fall with the tide. It is also filled with a liquid that glows at night.
English
and Welsh
words, written by Cardiff-based Peter Finch, are projected onto the pavement at night by equipment installed within the arrow. The text is a play on the word Cardiff, reflecting its history and the present day according to developers.
The sculpture was commissioned following a national competition to find the right piece of artwork that would fit well within the city and become a new landmark. A total of 120 responses were received from artists across the globe with just five artists shortlisted for the opportunity.
Jean-Bernard Metais has been creating city-specific artworks for locations around the world for 25 years. In 2000, more than three million people came to see his monumental piece Eclipse in Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris
. According to Metais, “good public art is like a door to the senses that makes the entire space, the place and the people in it resonate together. It's an attempt to create a sensorial and poetic connection between a place and its inhabitants.”
Metais was selected because his response was considered to have stood out as the best. Alliance was judged to have the required scale which was necessary due to its location between the prominent library building and John Lewis
.
The sculpture was brought into the city centre on three articulated lorries and lifted into place by cranes operated by the French installation team and artist Jean-Bernard Metais.
Alliance touches the ground in three pin-pointed places and extensive foundations three metres deep. The arrow arrived first on the Monday morning to be installed with the hoop brought in on the following Wednesday, and lifted up adjacent to the library.
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The sculpture consists of a large stainless steel and enamelled metal arrow column and a hoop, which glows in the dark, and falls and rises with the tide.
The sculpture, paid for by the St David’s shopping centre as part of a £1.5m public art scheme in the city centre, was installed in the space between the new mall and Cardiff Central Library
Cardiff Central Library
Cardiff Central Library , is the main library in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. Four buildings have been named as such, with the newest building opening on 14 March 2009 and officially being opened a few months later on 18 June 2009 by the Manic Street Preachers...
in The Hayes
The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....
area of the city centre.
Design
The sculpture consists of a large stainless steel and enamelled metal arrow column and circular hoop which seem to balance in the air. The circle is filled with a liquid which will have a phosphorus glow at night and rises and falls with the movement of the tides.The hoop is partially submerged below the pavement and a mechanism is programmed to make it rise and fall with the tide. It is also filled with a liquid that glows at night.
English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
words, written by Cardiff-based Peter Finch, are projected onto the pavement at night by equipment installed within the arrow. The text is a play on the word Cardiff, reflecting its history and the present day according to developers.
Artist
Alliance was created by French artist Jean-Bernard Metais.The sculpture was commissioned following a national competition to find the right piece of artwork that would fit well within the city and become a new landmark. A total of 120 responses were received from artists across the globe with just five artists shortlisted for the opportunity.
Jean-Bernard Metais has been creating city-specific artworks for locations around the world for 25 years. In 2000, more than three million people came to see his monumental piece Eclipse in Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. According to Metais, “good public art is like a door to the senses that makes the entire space, the place and the people in it resonate together. It's an attempt to create a sensorial and poetic connection between a place and its inhabitants.”
Metais was selected because his response was considered to have stood out as the best. Alliance was judged to have the required scale which was necessary due to its location between the prominent library building and John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
.
Construction
Work to erect the sculpture began on 16 November 2009 and was completed within a fortnight.The sculpture was brought into the city centre on three articulated lorries and lifted into place by cranes operated by the French installation team and artist Jean-Bernard Metais.
Alliance touches the ground in three pin-pointed places and extensive foundations three metres deep. The arrow arrived first on the Monday morning to be installed with the hoop brought in on the following Wednesday, and lifted up adjacent to the library.