Public commission, Landås skole (primary school), 2005
Landscape architecture, bisected sculpture
The public commission was funded by Minnemedaljefondet, managed by Fondet til utsmykking av Bergen (Bergen public commission fund) and by voluntary communal work by Landås skole FAU (the parent organisation at the school).
Art consultant: Ann-Tove Engenes
Other co-operation partners:
Plexiglas og GlasMa:Harald Goksøyr SiO2 AS
Steel:Dahle Mekaniske Verksted
Technical drawings and calculations:Sverre Melvær Øgaard
Production location: Bergen bygg og eiendom
Production machinery, transport: Bergen kommune, Bydrift KF
Terrain work: Landås hage og boligservice AS
Sponsors: Harald Goksøyr SiO2 AS, BKK and Data Elektriske AS
Press mention: Årstadposten 15.03.05, Bergensavisen 13.04.05
My commission was to make an embellishment connected to the main entrance to the school yard. The entryway appeared anonymous and closed. The idea was that the embellishment, which also includes re-adjustments of the area, should be conductive to make the entrance more open, attractive and inviting. The intention is at the same time that the embellishment shall give each one an artistic experience and stimulate the pupils to interact with the art.
The embellishment has two parts.
PART 1: RE-ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AREA. The green area (earlier framed by a brick wall) is given a new form that leads to the school yard. The passage between the building and this area is enlarged. The green area is at the same time enlarged in a triangle form that breakes out the frontage parallel to the street. New steps facilitates the access to the green area. A fence and signboards are taken away.
The consultant writes: "The artist has in co-operation with The working-group (the voluntaries) adopted to do landscape architectural changes of the outdoor area where the work will be placed. (...) The change has a very positive effect on the school entrance that opens up, and gives the art work a prominent placing that strengthens its visual power, and marks the school entrance from a long distance."
PART 2. BISECTED SCULPTURE Materials: plexiglas and GlasMa. Size 500 x 150 x 200 cm. The sculpture walls begins at zero and rise slantingly up to about 2 metres. Each of the two parts is made up by 6 square metres plexiglas with 20 mm thickness.