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Benefit of Mr. Kite by Mags Harries & Lajos Héder

Artist: Mags Harries & Lajos Héder
Artist Website: www.harriesheder.com

Topiary sculpture and light elements

Location: Pedestrian accessway between the San Diego Convention Center and the San Diego Marriott Hotel.
Harbor Drive
San Diego, California

Mermaid, one of two giant topiary sculptures in "The Benefit of Mr. Kite," is shown before ingrowth of ficus pumila plants.

Artists Mags Harries and Lajos Héder of Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed and produced "The Benefit of Mr. Kite" as a public art solution envisioned to improve public access to the downtown waterfront through an existing pedestrian accessway know as "Canyon Path."

Canyon Path is a narrow, 925-foot long passage between the San Diego Convention Center and the adjacent San Diego Marriott Hotel. The public art installation is part of a joint project designed to improve the visibility, attractiveness and accessibility of this heretofore-obscure passageway, which is one of the few direct pedestrian paths between the historic downtown district and the waterfront. The public art employs special design details and obvious visual landmarks to attract attention to the entry portals of the passage and to provide an engaging transition from the city to the bay.

The artists were intrigued by San Diego and its constant quality of sunlight. They saw Canyon Path as a place to make art out of light and create a connection to the waterfront. They have created large topiary figures that tell the story of a man with binoculars scanning the distance for ships as a mermaid appears on the horizon. A large prism kite hanging above the center of the path spreads a moving spectrum of colored light onto the high walls of the "canyon" during daylight hours. At night, lighted hedge lanterns illuminate the path.

The new artwork and accessibility enhancements have transformed this seldom-used alleyway between two large buildings into an inviting, attractive and interesting passageway from the downtown cityscape to the marina and bayside promenade behind the convention center. The project is an excellent example of how public art can transform and activate public places.

About the Artists: Visit the artist's web site at Harries/Héder Collaborative