This year over 200,000 locals and tourists flocked to Cottesloe Beach to see the collection of 70 original sculptures from West Australian, interstate and international artists. However if you went to Sculpture by the Sea early to get a jump on the crowds you may have missed the best bit, just ask the kids.
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Punctured Sky was a site specific piece put together on Cottesloe Beach by Finnish duo ELIN&KEINO (artists Heini Nieminen and Sandra Nyberg). From the outside it looked like a cardboard igloo or hanger but inside the arched tunnel had pepping holes to the sky.
While other beach goers lazed on their towels or dunked in the surf, the Finnish duo spent days putting the piece together in front of the crowds eyes. Amazing effort considering the heat over the past few weeks.
They also stayed by their sculpture for the run of the exhibition, sitting on iridescent blue deck chairs watching the crowds enjoy their artwork. That must have been extremely rewarding given all the work they put in.
Equally rewarding no doubt was receiving a $1,000 cheque when they were awarded the NAB Kid’s Choice Prize.
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The ELIN&KEINO cooperation started in 2009 and the duo has since participated in various outdoor and environmental art events both in Finland and abroad.
In 2011 ELIN&KEINO participated in Denmark’s Sculpture by the Sea, Turku City Arts Festival ‘Livingroom’ and received the grant for the ComPeung Artist in Residence in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The group focuses on the field of environmental and community art; creating artworks related to the politics of human interaction, interference, and reclamation of the natural environment.
At the presentation some cynics near me were heard pondering whether one of the attractions of the tunnel was being able to go inside to escape the 40 degree heat, but somehow I don’t think so …
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After all on this occasion the judges were kids, and according to David Handley, Founding Director of Sculpture by the Sea, there were so many kids wanting to vote that they had to print off more voting slips.
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Congratulations to Heini and Sandra for the win and for reminding me that….
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Sometimes there’s a benefit to not being the first to see a show.
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Be mindful about what you say when looking at an art piece, the young couple giggling off to the left might not be innocent bystanders, they might be heavily invested artists with extremely sharp implements just out of reach. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
2 Comments
Oh I’m so glad they won this prize! I went with my little boy plus a friend and her little boy, both nearly 2, and they were mesmerised by this one. My friend’s son walked through multiple times and was extremely put out when we told him we had to move on.
Yes the kids reaction were wonderful to see, sometimes I wish I could still see the world through their eyes. So pleased you managed to get down there, it’s always worth the effort.