Port of San Diego to Feature World-Class Art

Port of San Diego to Feature World-Class Art

Tuesday, 13 November 2007

The San Diego Unified Port District and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture are welcoming two contemporary art installations on loan from Vancouver where they have been on display to critical acclaim for two years. Dennis Oppenheim’s “Engagement” will be on exhibit by the end of this week, Nov. 11-17, and Magdalena Abakanowicz’s “Walking Figures” will be installed after Thanksgiving.

Oppenheim is recognized as one of the foremost conceptual artists and sculptors in the world. His “Engagement,” to be placed at Laurel and Harbor Drive, is an intriguing representation of two rings made of glass and steel. The rings, intended to represent marriage, reflect light and color, magnified by tones of light and darkness when illuminated at night. The work is intended to remind the viewer that marriage requires a balance between two people with different interests, tastes and background.

Abakanowicz is one of the best known and respected sculptors of the 21st Century, having installed more than 120 exhibitions in museums and galleries world wide since her debut in Warsaw in 1960. Her “Walking Figures,” to be installed near Park Boulevard on Harbor Drive between Petco Park and the Convention Center, portrays 18 iron cast figures in suspended movement with one foot forward. The 18 representations were individually cast in Poland under direction of the artist. Abakanowicz differentiated each figure with unique elements to ensure no two figures are alike.

“With ‘Walking Figures’ and ‘Engagement,’ the San Diego community will be receiving access to two world-class art installations with resonant themes,” said Anthony Block, chairman of the Port’s Temporary Art Committee. “Walking Figures’ is a poignant representation of individual behavior within group movement, perfectly placed to be viewed by people walking along Harbor Drive near the Convention Center and Petco Park.”

The Port and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture are in the fourth year of their “Partnership for Temporary Art” program. For three years, the sculpture “Isis” by Mark di Suvero, reigned over the very visible triangle at Laurel and Harbor Drive. The work represented the program’s inaugural effort. “Bringing temporary installations to the waterfront positions the region as a dynamic, vibrant cultural center,” said Victoria Hamilton, executive director of the
city arts commission. “It has also become an efficient way to cost effectively share art with the public.”

“Like temporary museum exhibits, these installations give the community an opportunity to see the work of world-class artists in local settings, and a reason for visitors to return again and again” said Catherine Sass, the Port’s director of public art. “Because of the rich outdoor venues San Diego provides, the city and region are gaining a reputation among artists as a place to be.” The two sculptures will be on loan for one year, as part of the Port’s public arts program. Established in 1996, the public arts program is committed to providing public art exhibits on the tidelands and in new development projects. The program’s Urban Trees project, 30 artistic trees that add color and form to the water front, has gained renown for enhancing the post-card views of San Diego Bay.

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, established in 1988, is designed to enliven the city by supporting the region's cultural assets, integrating arts and culture into community life and showcasing San Diego as an international tourist destination.

The Port of San Diego is a public benefit corporation and special government entity. Created in 1963 by an act of the California legislature, the Port manages San Diego harbor and administers the public lands along San Diego Bay. The Port has operated without tax dollars since 1970 and has been responsible for $1.5 billion in public improvements in its five member cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego. With a $10.6 billion annual impact on the San Diego region, the Port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, a cruise ship terminal, 16 public parks, various wildlife reserves and environmental initiatives, a Harbor Police department and the leases of over 600 tenant businesses around San Diego Bay. For more information, please visit the Port’s website at www.portofsandiego.org.

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